Second Chances
by lesbianbey
Summary: "you only get one shot to better your life. don't fuck it up." — aka, the hospital ending we deserved. (pricefield — hospital ending)
1. Chapter 1

**title** : second chances

 **summary** : "you only get one shot to better your life. don't fuck it up." — aka, the hospital ending we deserved. (pricefield)

 **notes** : wassup mf's? anyways this is my pricefield shitfic and i'm kinda skeptic about posting it but *shrug* yolo amirite?

* * *

Rain and wind pours not the small hamlet, a huge super tornado making its way towards land with the intention to cause death and destruction. The harbor is already destroyed to smithereens and the tornado comes closer and closer until it reaches land and destroys what's left of a Pacific Oregon town.

A skinny brunette stares at a photo she took at the beginning of the week, the ultimate precursor to the fucking strange shit that has been going on around the city. Before the snowstorm, the total eclipse, the double moons, and the dead beached whales and birds...and certainly before this tornado.

She focuses hard on the photo, knowing that everything can end if she allows her best friend to eventually die in the hands of a teen sociopath. She didn't want this, but the bluenette is right - in order to save the other people in town, she needs to die.

Or does she?

Before anything drastic happens, she is suddenly transported to the beginning of the week, when she takes the photo of the blue butterfly, the precursor to the time warping abilities she received.

Max takes a quick photo and drops it on the floor. She checks the door momentarily and puts her back on the wall. She can't relive this again. She can't watch her best friend die again. There has to be another way that makes everyone live. Chloe Price deserved another chance at life, no matter what the universe says.

She pulls out her phone and calls 911 at the same time Nathan Prescott walks in and starts mumbling. Max blocks it out, hoping the police will listen to the entire conversation inside the Blackwell bathroom. Maybe they will get information where all of this is happening. If not, Chloe will die again and Max has to let it happen so that she won't cause another time paradox.

The door opens. "So what do you want?"

"I hope you checked the perimeters, as my step-ass would say. Now let's talk bidness."

"I got nothing for you."

"Wrong. You got hella cash."

"That's my family, not me."

"Oh boo boo, poor little rich kid. I know you've been pumpin' drugs n' shit to kids 'round here. I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now—"

"Leave, them out of this, bitch."

"I can tell everybody that Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself—"Max tries not to cry but she suddenly feels tears on her cheeks, and she grips her fists, hoping her plan actually worked. She has half a mind to skip the entire conversation with her power if she still has them, but no...she cannot do this.

Not now, not ever.

Max hears a gunshot, and she jumps. It happens. She ignores Nathan's pathetic cries of help during his post-murderous panic attack, crying silently, up until she hears the door practically break off the hinges. "Hands where I can see 'em!"

Finally. When Nathan is taken away and Chloe is applied on a stretcher, an officer takes the time to survey the bathroom carefully. Max shuts off her phone and pockets it the same time the officer finds her. "Hey, kid, you ok? Were you in here the whole time?"

Max stares at the officer, nodding. "Ok, follow me. We're gonna take you in for some questioning." She gets up from the floor and follows the officer out of the bathroom, where a large puddle of blood lays, for someone to clean up. She rides away from the school, ignoring the stares of other students and gets inside the cop car. She wants to know if Chloe's alive, if she survived the gunshot. She needs to know so that this timeline, the semi-true timeline, won't change the course of history.

If the universe really wants Chloe dead she should've probably received a vision, or a headache, or a nosebleed. However as she endures several hours of questioning until Nathan cracks under pressure and admits to everything concerning the bathroom incident, the mystery of Rachel Amber, and Jefferson's motives and picture chamber, there's nothing but a state of calm. Rachel is still dead in this timeline, Jefferson is still a sociopath in this timeline, and Nathan is still a sick person in this timeline...but is Chloe dead?

"Can you take me to the hospital?" She asks Officer Berry, who questioned her this entire time. "I wanna see the girl, Chloe Price."

Max finds herself at Arcadia Bay Hospital the next half hour, waiting outside the emergency room, hoping to get any news about Chloe. Her mother Joyce is already here, and after a brief reunion, they both pace the floor for a couple hours until Joyce sits down from her feet hurting and Max grows exhausted. There's a man sitting there. Max recognizes him as David Madsen. Max never initially liked David, and still doesn't like him much just because he proved himself to 'care' about Chloe in the other timeline. Being protective and being a paranoid abusive ass are two different things. She just truly felt bad for him, but she still doesn't like him.

Chloe doesn't, either. In this timeline Chloe may change her mind about him, but Max knows that is probably not gonna happen if he continues to physically and emotionally abuse his stepdaughter.

It's midnight, literally midnight, when the doctor appears and all three of them are giving him expectant looks. "Family of Chloe Price?"

"I'm her mother, he's her stepfather, and she's her cousin," Joyce swiftly lies, about the last part. Max is just as important as everyone here.

The doctor explains the best way he can, but basically, Chloe's in a coma and she might or might not wake up, and Max questions if saving her again was all worth it.

Max spends the entire night in the hospital, not really caring about school in the next morning. Her first class was gonna be photography with Jefferson, and he's already in custody for his crimes. However Joyce and David go home, after Max convinces them to not take her back to campus. She wants to be there for Chloe, now that she made a new timeline where Chloe can continue to exist and get a second chance at life.

The doctors say otherwise. They aren't very hopeful. People who fall into comas apparently don't always wake up. Just like Max though, neither Joyce nor David give up. They intend to at least try to get Chloe back, that some miracle happens for Chloe to finally wake up and recover, and she can be best friends with Max again.

Max gets the newspaper from a nurse, and it's sensational. The exposé on Jefferson's dark room, Nathan's involvement in every sick photograph being taken to impress Jefferson, his murder of Rachel and his attempted murder on Chloe are covered. There's also a small article on the next page about the District Attorney James Amber resigning after the death of his daughter. There's so much to take in.

Max holds Chloe's hand all day, only letting go to get some fresh air and because Joyce brings her food. Her phone goes off the hook but she doesn't give a fuck.

* * *

The first visitor other than Joyce or David is a girl named Stephanie Gingrich.

Max has her eyes closed hoping to get some shut-eye when the door opens and it reveals a pretty girl with a couple balloons, and a bouquet of yellow roses in a vase. "Oh, uh hi there. You know Chloe?"

"Know her? I was her best friend when we were kids," Max replies.

"You must be Max Caulfield." The girl smiles a little. "I'm Steph."

"Nice to meet you."

Steph puts the vase down and goes to the other side of the bed. "Shit. I always knew she was in some type of trouble, but I didn't know she was that deep in it...to confront Nathan Fuckscott."

"Did she often get into trouble all the time?"

"Definitely," Steph chuckles. "The first time I kinda met her was when I told her Wells was gunning out for her. She got expelled the next day. She was always with Rachel and they got into petty crimes almost all the time. Most of it was drugs. I stayed out of it because I don't really wanna impose on other people's lives, but sometimes...I wish she didn't do it. Maybe she wouldn't get herself involved with Nathan."

"I think it went deeper than Nathan," Max hypothesizes.

"Did they say she's gonna wake up?"

"They said that she might or might not wake up. They basically want her to die but her parents don't want her to. Neither do I. I just got her back, I can't lose her again."

"Yeah. She's one of the nicest people I ever met from Blackwell...when I used to go."

"You don't go anymore?"

Steph shakes her head. "I opted not to do the extended senior program. I hated Blackwell. Not as much as Chloe, but I hated it. There's just...too much shit. Teachers gave Nathan way too much leeway for his destructive and abusive ass behavior. The Vortex club too changed in the past three years. It used to be about revolution, standing out from the crowd...a place to make friends...and now it's overrun by drug abusers. And like...it's demonic as hell. They hired a perverse sociopath for hell's sake."

"Yeah, you're right."

Things stay quiet for a little while. "When one of my cousins was in a coma, they used to say that they may not be awake but they can still hear us. Wanna test it out?"

Max smiles. She turns to Chloe. "Hey Chloe, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand once."

It's barely there, but Max feels a slight movement.

* * *

"Come on, Chloe, we're almost there!" Rachel yells.

Chloe growls under her breath. Why did she agree to go in a hiking trip with Rachel at the Rocky Mountains? And why didn't she think about wearing comfortable shoes? "You said that miles ago, Amber. I'm starting to think you're lying."

"Chloe, would I lie to you?" Rachel chides.

"To be honest, Rach? Maybe," Chloe replies.

"Trust me, Che. We'll be there shortly." Rachel continues her trek until there's a small cabin. Chloe is actually surprised that Rachel didn't lie, but she is so excited to get inside and rest her feet after walking up a fucking steep hill. "Welcome to my cabin. Dad took me here many years ago and yeah, it's a small place but it's cozy."

Chloe enters the cabin, realizing that it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Rachel makes her way towards the fireplace to turn it on while Chloe scans the entire place. "Hey, Chloe, come on." Rachel pulls Chloe on the large sofa covered in throw blankets and pillows. Rachel quickly sets it up to create a fort, or what looks like a fort, pulls out her flashlight/star night light thing that Chloe made for her, and enters the fort. Chloe follows suit, for Rachel to turn on the night light, and there's stars everywhere. Rachel sits down cross legged, while Chloe crawls up to her lap and places her head there.

"I used to love making forts. My dad and I would do this as soon as we finish our hike up here...but now, I can't even look at him. I trusted him and he almost killed my mom...and for my mom to tell you to not reveal the truth about my dad...my idea of him was shattered long ago."

"I used to think my dad was perfect, that maybe he wouldn't lie to me...but after the fiasco with Damon and your mom, I have a belief that he lied too. I just...I still can't really fully accept he's gone yet. Maybe that's just me."

"Will we really ever fully accept that a loved one is gone?" Rachel asks. "Think about it, Chloe. If one of us were to die tomorrow, will people really forget that we existed?"

"I don't know."

Rachel smiles a little, and runs a hair through Chloe's blue locks. "Maybe one day they'll find out."

* * *

Max goes back to her dorm, knowing that she can't afford to miss anymore days. Despite photography class being cancelled until a replacement can be found, Max has other classes to worry about. Wells isn't cancelling class for the rest of the week, despite many students being in distress to find out that Rachel Amber is dead and a teacher was arrested for being an accessory to that crime, and other things. Oh, and Nathan was arrested too. No one wanted to think about science homework; they wanted to hear about Jefferson and Nathan going to prison for their crimes.

Kate isn't faring well, but she isn't completely depressed. Plus, Victoria hasn't posted about the video. Maybe she deleted it or something. Victoria may be a bitch, but Max never thought of her as completely heartless.

Max hopes she deleted the video.

When Max checks her phone, she sees missed calls from her parents, and Kate. She receives messages from practically every person inside the dormitory, including Taylor and Victoria about potentially saving Chloe's life. She quickly reads them and then sets her phone aside, covering her face with a pillow.

Class is solemn, but Max takes a couple notes and leaves campus the next day. She goes straight to the hospital, walking in to see Steph and two boys — brothers. Max recognizes the youngest one as Mikey North, who usually hangs out with Warren and is probably just as smart and nerdy as him. The other one? Not so much. He looks like Mikey though...although Mikey is cuter in comparison.

"Max, how are you?" Steph smiles. "It's the same news but my friends wanted to visit her."

"Hi, I'm Max," she introduces herself.

"I'm Mikey, and this is my brother Drew," Mikey announces. "I've seen you before. You usually hang out with Warren, right?"

"That reminds me, I gotta give him back his flash drive later," Max says, remembering that text message she skimmed through amongst the string of pep words from him regarding Chloe. "She kinda squeezed my hand yesterday."

"She did?" Drew asks, with a hopeful voice.

Steph nods. "Max kinda freaked out but it was super cool."

Max playfully glares at Steph. "I did not freak out. I just jumped out of my seat and stumbled a little. The nurse thought I had a concussion. I'm fine now."

"You freaked out," Mikey laughs.

"Ok, yeah, I freaked out."

Drew is the only one not really laughing. He holds Chloe's hand, making Max raise an eyebrow. Did they have something in the past that alternative timeline Chloe didn't tell her? She thought Chloe had a thing for Rachel...and girls in general. "She's a fighter. She kinda saved my life, so i'm hoping she wakes up."

Oh. Max didn't know how much Chloe has had an impact on others' lives. Maybe she should read those messages. "You and me both."

It's around seven when Juliet and Dana make a short visit. Max says hi to them shortly, while they say a silent prayer and hang out with Max a little bit. Turns out Chloe saved them from a minor situation in 2010; there was a forest fire that prevented Juliet from getting there on time so Chloe stole the show as Ariel for a Shakespeare play, the Tempest. They just wished they connected with Chloe a lot more.

"You want a ride back to campus, Max?" Dana asks.

Max looks back at Chloe, back at Dana, and nods. She'll come back tomorrow.

* * *

Chloe lays back on the trunk of her pickup truck, Rachel laying right next to her. They're looking at the stars. Rachel tells Chloe all about the stars, which one are constellations, stopping at the very last constellation, Leo.

"Let's play a game," Rachel proposes.

"You and your games, Amber. What you got in mind?"

"Smash, marry, stab."

Chloe bursts out laughing. "Don't you mean fuck marry kill?"

"Yeah, but let's be classy." Rachel says. "You know how this game goes. I name three names, you tell me who you'd totally smash for a day, who you would marry, and who will meet the sharp end of your blade."

"You go first then."

"Ok, uh...Steph, Mikey, Drew."

Chloe smirks. "Easy. Smash Andrew, marry Stephanie, stab Elamon."

"You'd kill Mikey over Drew? How dare you?"

"I wouldn't smash Mikey. He's a kid. So I have to kill him. I'd definitely marry Steph, because...who wouldn't? That leaves me smashing Drew. It's a one time thing too so it's forgettable."

"Ok...that doesn't seem like a bad explanation. Now it's my turn."

Chloe shrugs. "Victoria, Nathan, Dana."

"Stab Nathan, he's a piece of shit," Rachel argues. "I would marry Dana and smash Victoria. Like you said, smashing is definitely forgettable and it might never happen again."

"What if Victoria's good in bed?" Chloe hypothesizes.

"Someone that uptight and bitchy is not good in bed," Rachel replies. "Now...uh, Principal Wells, Samuel, Skip."

"Stab all of them."

Rachel laughs. "You can't Stab all of them."

"Fuck! Smash Skip, marry Samuel, stab Principal Wells several times," Chloe groans. "I can't believe you did that!"

Rachel shrugs. "I never said they were limitations to who we should name."

"In that case...Eliot, my step-dildo, Damon Merrick."

"Damon's already dead but I'd smash him, marry Eliot, stab David."

Chloe raises an eyebrow. "That was too easy for you or something?"

"No limitations, remember?" Rachel says. "Ok...Juliet, Dana, Rachel."

Chloe rolls her eyes. "I'd smash Juliet, and stab Dana. I'd totally marry you."

"You'd marry me?"

Chloe nods. "Maybe one day, maybe not."

Rachel smiles and shrugs. "What if you don't get the chance to marry me? What if something happens to me that causes me to not get married? Like, what if I died or something?"

"Then I don't know what I'd do with myself," Chloe replies, pensive. Why was Rachel asking those questions? "Why you asked that?"

"'Cause, y'know. You've been stalling the inevitable for so long. I've been missing for months, Chloe. This is just a made up memory of yours. You can't marry me, not even if you found me."

* * *

Max goes back to the hospital after class on Thursday. She's surprised to see Victoria there instead of Steph. She thought Steph will hang out all week...or maybe she was there because Mikey and Drew came along and they're best friends. But, when the door shuts close, Victoria glances up. "Oh, hey Lamefield."

"What are you doing here, Victoria?" Max inquires.

"The hospital has a great view of the harbor," Victoria replies sarcastically. "What does it look like, hipster trash? I'm visiting Price."

Max furrows her eyebrows. "You knew Chloe?"

"Once upon a time, Chloe went to Blackwell," Victoria shrugs. "We didn't like each other, but you know. Visiting your former rivals does have an appeal to it." Max doesn't reply. She sits on the opposite side of the bed. "And to think, I trusted that bastard. He put her in this condition."

"You couldn't tell that he was seriously messed up?" Max inquires.

"No," Victoria answers, and Max can see that Victoria is telling the truth. "He didn't seem messed up to me. He just seemed stoic but when he was high or drunk, he was fun to be around. We trusted each other...but he killed Rachel...and almost killed Chloe. I hated them both, but I hate Nathan more. I hope he rots."

Max wonders if she still has that video. No. If she brings up Kate's video, Victoria might think Max might've been through her phone or something. She can't have that. But… "What about Kate?"

"What about her?"

"You was at that last Vortex party with her, right? Did she act weird?"

"She kissed a bunch of dudes and then disappeared. I filmed it with the intention of posting it, but I deleted it. I didn't want to cause more scandalous bullshit on top of scandalous bullshit. Besides...that just reminds me more and more of Vortex club, how Nathan and I used to give zero shits about who was doing what — if you acted a fool, we got you on video. I couldn't do it."

Max grins a little. "Good. Maybe you aren't heartless after all."

"Don't get used to it, Lamefield."

Victoria offers to take Max back to the dorms, but she declines. Joyce walks in at the same time Victoria leaves, giving Max a short hug. "How's she doing?"

"She's been twitching every so often," Max reveals.

Joyce tearfully looks at Chloe. "I just hope she wakes up. I can't lose my daughter. Not now."

* * *

There's no tornado, but there is a storm. Friday experienced heavy rains which almost flooded the roads, but not too much to flood homes. Max stays from the previous night to this morning, hoping Chloe will wake up today or something. She's been twitching every few hours, which makes the doctors reconsider discussing with Joyce about taking her off life support.

Despite the rain, Warren, Kate, and Alyssa show up to the hospital to see Max for the most part. Max is kind of happy that her friends are here, but she rather spend this time with Chloe.

"Chloe, please, wake up," Max whispers.

* * *

"Chloe!" Rachel yells. "Come on! The water's fine!"

Chloe sighs, stepping foot in the cool water towards Rachel, who's splashing around. When she's knee deep, she starts swimming towards Rachel, but she keeps getting further and further away. Confused, Chloe keeps swimming but eventually she loses Rachel, and eventually her way back to shore. "Shit! Rachel! Where are you?"

Chloe hears nothing. The sky turns dark, and the wind picks up suddenly. Chloe grows cold, but the more she tries to swim back, there's more bodies of water. The wind picks up even more, forming a small waterspout. It gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Chloe has never seen something like this. Waterspouts or tornadoes aren't that colossal. What the fuck is going on?

The wind picks up so much that it blows Chloe towards the water spout, pushing her around until she sinks underwater. It changes again. It's the junkyard. She stands in front of the sign, and walks forward. Chloe realizes that she is now fully clothed, wearing her signature leather jacket with jeans and boots. It seems familiar to her, but she can't put her finger on it. No, not now. Chloe keeps walking until she stops in front of a spot where a doe lays her head. Chloe raises an eyebrow, until the doe disappears and a body lays there. She walks up until she stops and—wow.

It's herself. Chloe widens her eyes and backs away, turning around to see her secret hideout. She runs towards there but when she enters it, the scene changes. It's the backyard of her childhood home. Five bottles are lined up, and a gun lays on the ground. Chloe picks it up - it's one of her step-shit's guns that she acquired a little while ago. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Come on, Chloe." Chloe whips her head around, facing a person she never thought she see again. "Show me what you got."

"Maxine?" Chloe hisses.

"Chloe, what did I tell you?" Max frowns deeply. "Max. Never Maxine." Max physically turns Chloe around to face the bottles, and aligns her arms to aim. "You can do it."

"What...is going...on?"

"Aw, is little baby Chloe afraid?" Max teases. "Do it!"

Chloe hesitates, and when she pulls the trigger, there's a click. "There's no bullets." A minute later, the bottle explodes. "What the—?"

"Bullseye!" Max grins wickedly. She brings a cigarette to her lips, and lights it up. "Another one."

"This isn't real," Chloe says, and drops the gun. "You...you haven't contacted me in five years and now...you're here?"

"Oh please bitch," Max sneers. "I've been in Arcadia Bay for a month. I just didn't want to deal with your childish bullshit anymore. You surely haven't changed since we separated anyway. You're still an insecure, afraid, little bitch." Chloe quivers her lip, and backs up a little. She bumps into the makeshift gun range, causing all of the bottles to fall on the ground and break, one by one. "Great! You ruin everything, like always. Why do you even bother with living the way you live? Rachel is gone, and you refuse to accept reality of it. She's gone, Chloe...and so are you."

Chloe sees a bright light for a while until she doesn't. She's at the Prescott Dormitory. A flash of light surprises her again, and she turns around to see the culprit David taking body shots of her. "Stop moving, You punk bitch!" David gives her a roundhouse kick, making Chloe squirm in pain. "You never did anything right in your life, huh? Got yourself expelled from Blackwell, got involved in drugs and alcohol, fight me every damn day? You keep disappointing your mother. Maybe if we had a child of our own, they won't end up like you!"

Chloe shivers, and closes her eyes. She hears another flash, and turns around to see Rachel with a camera in her hand. "Why didn't you accept that I was dead, Chloe? I told you that one day, I'll just disappear. I did disappear. I'm dead, Chloe. Just accept that."

Chloe closes her eyes again, and hears another flash. She opens it, and it's her mother. "I don't love you, Chloe. I never loved you. That's why I picked David over you." She takes a picture, and sighs. "One of these days, you'll realize it. No one loves you."

Chloe hopes that this is the last one as she closes her eyes. She's at the Amber residence. Eliot is standing there, with blood on his hands. "I killed her, Chloe. I killed her for you."

Chloe turns around to see Rachel bleeding out. "No! Rachel!"

"Hey!" Eliot roars. "It's you and me now. It's over. She's been defeated." Eliot steps closer while Chloe backs up, until her back hits the wall. Eliot comes within centimeters of her face, touching it with his still wet bloody hands. "Together forever."

Chloe screams.

Darkness takes over her once again. She stands there, in complete darkness. She looks around to see a bright light, seemingly far away. She turns around, and is on her way to walk there, but she notices her outfit has changed. She's in a hospital garb. She has the IV cart following her. She pushes the cart with her as she walks more and more towards the light, until it blinds her.

* * *

A pair of eyes open Saturday morning.


	2. Chapter 2

A pair of eyes open Saturday morning. The bright lights are blinding, but the person can already tell where they are. White ceilings, beeping sounds, bodies moving about...she's alive, in a hospital. Chloe moves her head to the right side to see her mother sleeping, holding her hand, and David fast asleep a couple inches away. She moves her head to the left side, and sees a face she thought she would never see, ever again, except maybe in dreams.

Chloe tries to say something, but her throat is dry. She Squeezes both hands to signal someone to wake up. It doesn't take long for both Max and her mother to wake up, and see Chloe's eyes open. " _Chloe_!" Both Max and Joyce rejoice.

The loud noise makes Chloe wince. "Max, go get a doctor," Joyce commands. Max leaves the room in a hurry. "David, wake up. Chloe is up!" She shakes David awake, who wakes up automatically. "David...she's up!"

"Chloe!" David exclaims, and holds Chloe's hand. Chloe wants to snatch her hand away, but she has no strength to do so. "I was so worried that you wouldn't wake up. I'm so glad you're awake."

The doctor comes in and smiles. "Miss Price. You're up." He presents a cup of water, which Chloe takes a cautious sip from but in reality, she wants to drink it all in one gulp. "You gave us quite a scare there. Can you hear me?"

"Crystal," Chloe speaks.

The doctor brings a pen and applies pressure on her heels, causing Chloe to flinch. "Well, that means she can feel that." Joyce chuckles, and grips Chloe's other hand. The doctor brings a few digits in front of her face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," Chloe replies.

The doctor nods. "Most of her senses haven't been affected. What's your name, birthday, and age?"

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Chloe Elizabeth Price. I'm nineteen. I was born in Arcadia Bay to Joyce and William Price on March 11th, 1994. My father died in 2008 and the _dildo_ over there tried to replace him."

"Chloe!" Joyce exclaims.

"Well, at least she didn't forget her information," Max shrugs.

The doctor laughs a little. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Chloe blinks. The last thing she remembered was Blackwell. She was going to Blackwell for something, pertaining to Rachel, or something. "Uh, I drove to Blackwell Academy...I entered the school and that was it...I think I was discussing something with someone about Rachel Amber. I can't remember anything else."

Max gives a very confused look. She doesn't remember the ordeal with Nathan that brought her here? And does she still believe Rachel is alive? Did she hear anything during that coma? "That's a start. It means she doesn't have complete memory loss. It might take her a while to remember her last moments but don't fret."

"This is fine and dandy, but why the _fuck_ am I at the hospital? And why is Maxine Caulfield here?"

Max casts her eyes down. She should've known that this is the timeline where Chloe hasn't build up her trust towards her yet, so she's still bitter. Joyce notices it and glares at Chloe. "Chloe, she saved your life."

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Wow, thanks for saving my life. Now, why did my life need saving?"

"You were shot at the Blackwell girls' bathroom, by Nathan Prescott," Max replies. "I was at the bathroom when it happened. I called the police during the argument and they seemed to figure things out and get to Blackwell before you died from the gunshot wound. I know...I know you hate me right now, but—"

"Hate is an understatement," Chloe laughs bitterly. "You go ghost for five years... _five years_ , and you decide to save my life? In a bathroom? What did you think, that all was magically forgiven?"

"Chloe, i'm sorry," Max tries to say.

"Fuck your sorry!" Chloe growls. "I don't want it. You probably should've let me die."

Max's eyes well up with tears. Before Joyce approaches her to console her, Max leaves the room, letting herself break down in the middle of the waiting room.

"Chloe Price," Joyce seethes. "That is no way to treat your friend after she saved your life. She spent the entire week here, hoping you wake up! You should be more than happy to see her!"

" _Happy_?" Chloe argues.

The machine starts beeping out of control, which stops either person from yelling at each other. Chloe feels her heart thumping in seething anger, for her mother, her step-fucker, and her ex-best friend. If she knew Maxine fucking Caulfield would save her pathetic ass life, she could've just died right there. She rather die than to face her shitty, flaky ass best friend.

No. She should die right now.

* * *

Chloe quickly grows stir crazy after waking up from her coma. She hates hospital settings, especially after being in one for awhile when Damon stabbed Rachel. She hated every minute of it. The nurses walk in and out, checking on her and giving her liquid food, or changing her IV bag and the dressings to her gnarly shot wound.

Max doesn't come back. Her mom and step-fucker left after the doctor tells them that she shouldn't be in highly stressful situations. Of course, it pissed Joyce the fuck off but Chloe couldn't give much of a shit. Joyce gave up on her years ago, and she gave up on her mother too. David wasn't happy, but the last thing Chloe wanted was to give a shit about David's opinions.

She picks up a newspaper article from last week, detailing on Nathan and Jefferson's arrest. She stops reading after reading the line "being the murderer of Rachel Amber, who was eighteen when she was carelessly overdosed and buried at the American Rust".

Chloe screams. In the next few minutes, she sees nothing but darkness.

"Rachel!" Chloe yells, when she enters the American Rust Junkyard. "Rachel, where are you? You told me to meet you here, and i'm here!"

Chloe opens her flashlight app, which makes her trek on finding Rachel more efficient. She walks around the junkyard a couple times, entering the secret hideout a few times, a couple cars, and the school buses. When she leaves the hideout, she sees a doe standing at a spot. The doe vanishes, and Chloe is presented with a dream version of herself once again, with Max by her side. They start digging — "Are you gonna help me, Max?"

Max digs with her hands, both of them digging until they come upon a body. The smell revolts them for a second, until dream!Chloe looks again. "Rachel? Rachel!" dream!Chloe sobs, which breaks Chloe's heart. Rachel is dead, at the junkyard, the one place they spent every waking moment in. "Who would do this?"

Chloe wakes up in a sweat. It's almost nine. The nurses had to sedate Chloe hours back because she couldn't stop screaming. Her angel, her everything — Rachel is dead. Nathan killed her. That school teacher killed her. Arcadia Bay killed her. Arcadia Bay could've killed her too if Max didn't save her life.

Max.

Chloe instantly feels the regret yelling at Max this morning...but she was angry. Max had ignored her for five years, leaving Chloe to be alone for her short lived academic career. If it wasn't for Rachel, Chloe would've died by now.

Chloe brings her knees to her chest and starts crying silently. "Rachel," she sobs. "Why?"

* * *

Steph visits on Sunday morning. Chloe is still sad upon finding out about Rachel, but she makes time to entertain her best friend. Her bond with Steph isn't comparable to her bond with Rachel, but it is to her former bond with Max. They are both gamer girls who are pretty gay and pretty badass. However, Steph was way more straight edge than Chloe would ever be. Steph never did drugs, or smoked, or had much sex. She kept to herself and had a few girlfriends here and there, but she's still a badass. Steph is unapologetic about her sexuality while it took Chloe months to realize that she loved girls — one girl in particular.

Mikey and Drew show up two hours later. Drew couldn't let go of Chloe, and Chloe appreciates it. "You scared me," Drew had said, bringing a fresh set of tears between the both of them.

Mikey sneaks in a few pieces from their tabletop game and they play for a few minutes. It lifts Chloe's spirits up for a little while until they had to leave, and Chloe is depressed again.

Sunday is a calm day. Chloe doesn't expect any more visitors, so she lays back down, but doesn't go back to sleep. The nurses come in and check up on her and that's it. Chloe pushes away her liquid food hoping for a burger from the Two Whales Diner, but she knows her mother is pissed at her. She shouldn't be. If Joyce would understand half of the pain Chloe feels when she saw Max, she would understand. Instead, she thinks that it's just gonna be easy to forgive and forget, just because Max saved her life.

That could've been anyone. Hell, that could've been Victoria to save her from that bathroom. Max isn't special for saving her pathetic ass life.

She sighs, and closes her eyes, letting sleep overtake her.

She wakes up again, in a different setting. She's on the passenger's seat. She turns her head around, and Rachel is here, driving on a long road. "Chloe! You're up! I thought you'd never wake up after I took the wheel."

"Rachel? What's going on?"

"We finally left Arcadia Hell, that's what," Rachel smiles. Chloe starts to notice things. Rachel is sickly, with her eyes gaunt, her skeleton showing a little, her clothes dirty and covered in mud, her pretty skin once a nice shade of tan is now black and blue, with an infected needle wound on her neck. It scares Chloe. "It feels so good to breathe non-Oregon air. We should be at LA in a couple hours, maybe a day."

"Rachel, are you ok?"

"Oh, me? I never felt better!" Rachel lets out a hearty laugh, which makes her start coughing up blood. "I am fine, Chloe Price. Arcadia Bay was weighing me down, y'know? My parents...are liars. Your mom only cared about your step-bitch. We barely had that much friends at Blackhell anyway. It was good riddance."

Suddenly, Rachel closes her eyes and the car swerves off the road.

* * *

Max hasn't been able to leave her room since she got back here. However, Sunday night a roommate gets tired of the sniffling and walks right in, because David is shit at his job and Max keeps her door open for some crazy reason. "Listen, Lamefield. Some of us have to sleep so we can go to school tomorrow."

Max sighs. "I'm sorry, Victoria. I just…"

Victoria sits right next to Max on the bed, with rare concern written on her face. "What's going on?"

"Chloe woke up on Saturday, but she was pissed at me," Max explains. "She's still mad that I haven't contacted her for five years when I moved to Seattle, but I thought, for some _crazy_ reason, that she would appreciate it when I saved her. What a fucking idiot I was."

"Chloe's the idiot for not realizing how much of a good friend you are," Victoria says. "Yeah, Max, I said it. Don't rub it in. But I mean it. You spent the entire week hoping that she'd wake up, and when she does, she wants to bring old drama? God, maybe this is why we didn't like each other as kids. Like, yeah, I was a bitch, but she was a bigger one."

Max chuckles. "It never surprises me that you and Chloe didn't like each other."

"But anyways. We have a new photography professor and i'm kinda eager to find out who it is so stop your fucking crying. Go wash your face and get some rest."

Max smiles a little. "Thanks, Bitchtoria.

"Don't mention it, Dorkfield."

Max actually does follow what Victoria tells her. She washes her face with cold water, lessening her urge to spill any more tears, and gets a good amount of sleep. She feels refreshed enough to get ready for school, for her restarted photography class. Yeah, she's still a little depressed about Chloe, but she can give Chloe her space so that she can think, and accept Max on her own terms.

On her way to class, she gets stopped by David. "Caulfield! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Max still feels uncomfortable with David. No matter how happy he makes Joyce - abusing your stepdaughter isn't a good trait and being a paranoid hero isn't a redeemable trait either. "Yes, Mr. Madsen?"

"I never got the chance to thank you for saving Chloe's life," David speaks. "I know that sometimes i'm hard on the students here, and harsher on Chloe because she always gets in trouble, but I do care about her. I wish she can just accept me."

"Maybe you should listen to her and stop treating her like she's one of your students here...or like soldiers," Max advises. She has the power to make sure that David doesn't abuse Chloe ever again, and if he does, she better hopes Joyce opens her eyes quick enough before it gets out of hand. "She might actually accept you. It will be a slow process, but it will happen." Max walks away without another word, to her photography class. Despite the bullshit with Jefferson, Max missed class. She may not speak up much in class, except when she had her rewind power, but man. Jefferson may have been a psychopath, but he knew his shit.

When she walks in, she wakes to a couple students - first it's Alyssa, then Kate, then Stella, and lastly Victoria, who reluctantly waves back. Maybe in this timeline, she might be friends with Victoria. She seems to regret being friends with Nathan and for bullying Kate. Max knows Victoria is hella insecure about everything, including impressing her photographer parents. Max is insecure herself - about her relationship with Chloe, her future at Blackwell, her photography, and how she feels about Chloe as well.

Before she time jumped for the last time, she kissed Chloe. Last week in the other timeline, she kissed Chloe. In her alternative, disabled Chloe timeline, she could've kissed Chloe if given the opportunity. But, Chloe hates her. It will take a while for them to repair any relationship they have, let alone pursue a romantic relationship.

The new teacher is a woman, easing some of Max's tension. Her name is Mrs. Matthews and she's pretty as hell. Jeez, Max. First Jefferson, and now _this_ teacher?

"Hey, Gayfield, wipe the drool from your chin," Victoria jokes after class.

Max narrows her eyes, but Victoria just laughs. There's no maliciousness to it. It sounds...genuine. "Shut up, Leztoria."

"Never."

* * *

Chloe growls, pushing the meal replacement away from her. She wants a fucking burger, badly. She eyes her phone and looks through her contacts. Mom? Hell no, she hates Chloe right now.

David? Psh, no. Chloe would never ask him for a favor. Over her cold, dead body.

Eliot? Why does she still have Eliot's number? Eliot severed ties with her after she attempted to call the police on his ass, but she doesn't give a shit. She's mad he didn't actually get arrested for following her and putting her in danger.

Mikey? Nah, he's too young. He can't drive yet.

Steph? Maybe...but she skips Steph's number for now.

Victoria? Hell fucking no. Chloe fears Victoria might dose her burger to get back at Rachel dosing her tea...somehow. Plus, she hates Victoria. Why does she have her number?

Drew? Ooh, _definitely_ Drew. He has a soft spot for Chloe, and everyone knows it, even Mikey. She sends a quick SMS to Drew, and she gets a quick "on my way".

Chloe plays the waiting game for an hour until the door opens and Drew walks in. "Fuck. I'mma get in trouble for this. But for you, it's worth it." Drew looks behind him, and gives Chloe a perfectly wrapped burger from the drive-in. It isn't her mother's, but Drew probably thought ahead to get it someplace else. Chloe almost eats part of the wrapper trying to eat the burger.

" _Fuuuuuuck_ , this is so good," Chloe moans.

Drew rolls his eyes. "You owe me, Price."

"How 'bout a kiss?" Chloe smirks.

"You know we're both too gay to do something like that," Drew replies, smirking back. "How about i get my next meal at the Two Whales, free of charge? Or you pay for it?"

"I gotta get out of the hospital to do that but you got a—" Chloe stops, suddenly feeling the eaten burger coming back up. "Shit!" She grabs the nearby bucket and throws up. She gets even more nauseous from the smell, and gags. "Fuck, this was a bad idea."

"Mmmmm, you still owe me babe." Chloe glances up from the bucket and glares at Drew.

"Fuck you, North."

Chloe eventually gets to hide the solid food incident by making Drew hide the evidence, but she still felt gross from throwing up a perfectly good piece of food. She doesn't do much, and even begs the doctor to release her. Laying in bed gets immensely boring, even for a lazy ass like Chloe.

She continues to cry when she's alone, thinking about Rachel and her untimely death. She thinks about her mom and Max, who are probably still mad at her for Saturday. But Max coming back in her life, especially after a traumatizing experience is not what she needs.

Chloe still can't really remember what happened that day, but if her mom, Max, and the papers are saying that Nathan Dickscott shot her, it's probably the truth. Nathan's terribly disturbed, and Chloe experienced that firsthand when they went to school together. She hopes he rots in prison for what he did to Rachel, but knowing the judicial system, they will probably give him a six month sentence and release him on "good behavior".

She's about to lay back down when the door opens, revealing someone she definitely doesn't want to see. "What the fuck?"

"Nice to see you too, Kari Price," Victoria deadpans.

"Why the hell are you here, bitch?" Chloe growls.

"Business," Victoria replies sarcastically. "Also, what the fuck is wrong with you? I had to endure an entire weekend of Max crying in her dorm because of your dumbass, and I value my sleep very much."

"Now you give a shit about people other than Taylor? How cute of you," Chloe sarcastically says back.

"Yeah, it's kinda nice to be nice for a change," Victoria says even more sarcastically. "Maxine spent the entire week in here, smelling your shit and hoping you'd wake the fuck up, only for her to get yelled at because she dumped your ass when she moved to Seattle."

"That's none of your business," Chloe seethes.

"Who cares?" Victoria argues. "My point is, you're a toxic ass cloud and that's why no one wanted to be around you when you still went to school."

"And you're a stuck up ass bitch and that's why _nobody_ actually fucking liked you," Chloe argues back.

Victoria shakes her head and puts her hands up in defeat. "Fair, Chloe. But if you wanna rehash old shit all your fucking life, go ahead. Just make sure you tell whoever is _insane_ enough to deal with your bitch ass first."

"I have half a mind to throw this barf bucket at you," Chloe says, lifting it up to indicate to Victoria that she meant it. The vomit's been washed away hours ago, but she hates this bitch and will not allow even her to talk shit about something she knew nothing about.

"Oh? I wanna see you do it."

Chloe throws it at Victoria, but she quickly dodges it. "Sad, pathetic little Chloe. I'd be sympathetic because your girlfriend died but then I remembered that she dosed my tea for a shitty part in a Shakespeare play, as if she couldn't have more people sucking her ass enough."

Chloe narrows her eyes. She will do anything to choke this bitch out. "Get the fuck out."

Victoria shrugs. "Remember what I said. Either you grow the fuck up or you can sit there and be the pathetic, brooding little bitch you've always been."

When Victoria leaves, another fresh set of tears make their way onto the sheets. In some fucked up, tough love kind of way, she knows Victoria is right. Will she live up to it, is the million dollar question.

* * *

Chloe doesn't get a weird dream. Instead, she goes to sleep for a few minutes, only to wake up again. Sleep isn't coming easy. She can still hear those biting words from Victoria Chase earlier because no matter what, the bitch is right. Spending a lifetime bitter at other people seems like it's too much work. Maybe Max will show up today like she did when Chloe was sleeping? Who knows. But, when she sees the sun rising on the horizon, it's morning and Chloe wasted her night trying to sleep for more than a few minutes.

She hears the door open and it's a different, much younger, and prettier nurse to check on whatever needs to be checked and to dress her wound, which looks pretty gnarly. Chloe idly flirts with the new nurse, causing her to blush a little until she leaves the room. After a few minutes, her mother and step-dick walk in. "Oh, what a surprise."

"Chloe," Joyce frowns.

"You were mad at me all day yesterday, so what's different now?" Chloe inquires. "And a howdy hello to you too, step-dildo."

Joyce sighs. No matter what, Chloe will never stop taking jabs at David, nor will she tone down her bitterness. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Can you let me in, Chloe? I'm tired of fighting you."

Chloe sighs. She hates it when her mother begs. "Fine. I'm healing and I still can't have solid food, so no burgers."

Joyce cracks a little smile. Even David smiles a little. "You need to cut back on those," Joyce points out.

"I would, if I wasn't drinking nasty meal replacements everyday." She sighs a little. "I want a burger, a bacon double cheeseburger to be exact, with fresh off the fryer steak cut fries, and a thick vanilla milkshake with whipped cream. That can be the condiment to my fries. Yeah, that's the ideal meal I want."

"That actually sounds really good right now," David says.

Chloe playfully glares at David. "Hey, this is my fantasy. Not yours."

"You have a few more weeks to heal, Chloe," Joyce says, running a hand through Chloe's hair. "When you get discharged, I'll have one waiting on you."

Chloe grins. "I love you mommy." The door opens again, and to Chloe's surprise, Max walks in. Chloe blinks a couple times, then looks at her mom and stepdad. "Can you two give us some privacy?"

"Ok," Joyce answers. She kisses Chloe's forehead, and even Chloe allows David to affectionately pat her on the shoulder before leaving the room.

It's too silent. Max shifts from side to side, while Chloe fiddles with he fingers. When Max asked Victoria to drop her off at the hospital, she hoped to address Chloe's childish antics on Saturday but looking at Chloe now, she has nothing to say. "Listen, Max—"

"I know you're still mad at me for not contacting you for so long," Max starts off. "I'd be pissed off myself...but, I saved you, Chloe. I called the police, hoping you will live...and I skipped class for days, hoping you'd wake up. There were times when I thought...maybe saving you may not have been worth it because you were still in a coma, but _fuck_ , Chloe. I gave up on you once and i'm not gonna do it again. If you're not gonna let me in, fine, but i'm not gonna let you do it without knowing how much you mean to me."

"I'm sorry," Chloe whispers. "I should've been more thankful...but seeing you again made me angry...because no matter if I forget about Nathan shooting me in the bathroom, I never forgot about you leaving me on read for five years. It hurt, and i'm not sure you understand how much it did."

"Chloe…"

"But, that doesn't mean I should be harsh on you. Like, you're my best friend and as much as that hurt me, I can't necessarily stay mad at you."

Max holds Chloe's hand, giving her a thankful look. "Partners in crime, huh?"

"Partners in time."


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe appears at Blackwell Academy, the one school she hates, but she has business to take care of, and it involves that son of a bitch Nathan. When she caught him taking pictures of her unconscious body, she knew it will be perfect blackmail to get some money from the deranged rich kid, to pay off Frank and start a new life out of Arcadia Bay. If only Rachel were with her...no, she might talk Chloe out of it. Chloe didn't need that. All she needed was her mouth and her switchblade.

She can hear Nathan mumbling to himself in the bathroom. Ignoring that, she enters. "So what do you want?"

"I hope you checked the perimeters, as my step-ass would say," Chloe chides, checking every stall in the bathroom. The bathroom still has her wonderful art from when she got expelled. Good. "Now let's talk bidness."

"I got nothing for you."

Bullshit, Chloe thinks. "Wrong. You got hella cash."

"That's my family, not me."

Chloe finds the strength quickly not to sneak up on Nathan and flip the switchblade on his neck. No. They needed to do this accordingly, and violence is the last resort. "Oh boo boo, poor little rich kid. I know you've been pumpin' drugs n' shit to kids 'round here." She walks to Nathan's right side and gets close to him, dangerously close to see him twitching. "I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now—"

"Leave, them out of this, bitch," Nathan commands.

Chloe isn't having that. She needs something stronger to convince Nathan to fork up the hush money, and fast. "I can tell everybody that Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself—"

Chloe pushes him one last time, which prompts Nathan to pull out a loaded gun and aim it at Chloe. Holy shit. "You don't know who the fuck I am, or who you're messing around with!"

Chloe puts her hands up in defense, darting her head around the place in fear. "Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down."

Chloe backs up into a wall, prompting Nathan to aim the gun on her abdomen, holding the wall with his free hand. Chloe feels nothing but adrenaline and nerves. "Don't ever tell me what to do, i'm so sick of people trying to control me!"

Control? Chloe's just hoping not to get shot! "You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs—"

"Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass, would they?"

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!"

A loud gunshot is heard.

Chloe wakes up suddenly, checking her abdomen for a quick second. Shit, that dream was real. It wasn't a dream, it's exactly what happened that day. Chloe thought she'd never remember it but apparently she makes a speedy recovery in finding out that everyone was right.

If Chloe were to go back and redo it, she'd keep her mouth shut when Nathan pulls out the gun. Maybe she wouldn't have gotten shot, 'cause Nathan is truly a punk ass and shot her because he slipped. She would've gone straight to the source instead — Sean Prescott. He gives Wells hush money everyday to make sure Nathan doesn't get any infraction in his record, so Chloe would've received a huge ass check from the patriarch himself. She would've been out of Arcadia Bay, after paying off Frank with some of the money of course. She'd be anywhere out of that trash town. Rachel may still be found, though. Nathan would eventually crack under pressure, but Chloe will be away from the bay to give two shits.

But still, it would be great. Chloe turns to her left, watching Max sleep soundly next to her. Max decided to stay the night after they rekindled their friendship and talk shit for a good while. Max seemed a lot more open now, which surprised Chloe. When they were kids, Max always drew into herself and never wanted to disturb anyone. But now...it looks like she's seen some deep shit in her life. Maybe it's the fear of losing her best friend before mending things, but…

Chloe nudges her awake. "Wake up, Maxi Pad."

Max opens one eye and glares at Chloe. "Who dares disturb me slumber?"

"Cap'n Chloe, at your service," Chloe replies, smiling. "Let's exit this 'ere blasted hospital, acquire the precious booty from the Shitscotts, and embark on a permanent expedition on the high seas."

"Where to, my trusty sidekick?" Max keeps on, an even brighter smile on her lips.

"Hmm, the sunny land of The Angels," Chloe answers, then starts laughing. "Oh, man, that was fun."

"The Angels?"

"I meant Los Angeles, Maxie," Chloe explains. "Rachel wanted to go there when we discussed getting out of here. We could've been there by now, if we weren't sidetracked by Arcadia Bay's bullshit."

Max purses her lips. No matter what timeline she creates, Rachel is still dead. Even in the alternative timeline when she went back to prevent William to die. It will still be a timeline she hated because not only does she involve herself in the Vortex Club, Chloe will have to die sooner or later because of her injuries from being in a car accident, and that's not fair.

Even during the other timeline when she wins the Everyday Heroes contest, Chloe still dies in the tornado. She still wants to go to San Francisco but the contest has been cancelled, Blackwell withdrawing their entries because of Jefferson's crimes.

"And leave me here in Arcadia Hell?" Max questions.

"Yeah, you deserve it," Chloe answers, not seriously. But then her face turns serious. "I uh, had a dream earlier. It was when Nathan shot me in that bathroom…"

"That wasn't a dream, Chlo," Max points out.

"I know, but...shit man. Once again, my mouth gets me in trouble — life threatening trouble."

"Life threatening trouble?" Max repeats. "So, that wasn't the first time you got shot?"

"No, it was," Chloe chuckles, void of humor. "One time I almost got into a bar fight with a drunkard and if Rachel hadn't saved me, I would've been dead already."

Max shakes her head, snorting. "Well, let this be a lesson for you. Shut the hell up, Price."

Chloe scoffs in surprise. "Fuck you, Caulfield!"

* * *

Max couldn't stop staring at her new photography teacher, so when the teacher calls on her, she is momentarily star struck until Victoria slaps her arm to snap her out of it. "Huh?"

Some of the students giggle. "Miss Caulfield, I was asking you about flat light, but it seems you've been daydreaming more than to take an interest in my class."

"Oh, no, sorry," Max shakes her head and looks at her empty notebook. Shit. She's gonna have to ask Victoria for her notes later. "Uh, the flat light is defined as lighting that produces minimal contrast in the scene, which means there is no, or very little, contrast between the highlights and shadows. That's why photographers don't take pictures during the midday."

Mrs. Matthews gives Max an impressed nod. "You know your stuff, Caulfield. But in the future, please pay attention in my class."

When class ends, Max approaches Victoria almost immediately. "Enjoyed your gawking session with Mrs. Matthews, Gayfield?" Victoria smirks.

"I need your photography notes," Max goes straight to the point, although she would love to entertain Victoria's jabs at her ever-so questioning sexuality. "Just in case she surprises us with a pop quiz because of my daydreaming."

Victoria scoffs and rolls her eyes. "I can't keep being responsible for when you wanna stare instead of pay attention in class, but, whatever. I'll slip you my notes under your door."

"Thanks so much, icky Vicky!" Max grins.

Victoria rolls her eyes to the side and sighs. "Yeah yeah, Gayfield. Don't get used to it."

Max laughs as she sees Victoria strolling away. She turns around and approaches Kate, someone she feels Ike she hasn't talked to in a while, especially after the Chloe in a coma fiasco. She hasn't been well all of last week especially with the party, and in another timeline she might've killed herself, but now in this one, she wants to be Kate's friend. "Hey, Kate."

"Max," Kate says back. "How are you?"

"I'm better, now that my best friend is awake and not mad at me," Max answers, thinking about Chloe.

Both girls walk towards the way of the front of the school. "Oh, so she did wake up."

"Yeah, a few days ago. We can discuss more of it over tea."

Kate cracks a smile. "I'd like that."

* * *

Chloe finally moves on from meal replacements to solid food, but the hospital food is so gross that Chloe can't bear to finish it. She'd rather have the meal replacements. She starts getting up now, ever since her doctor ordered that she gets some physical activity after being bedridden for two weeks, but she can barely move without feeling a slight twinge in her diaphragm. The doctors say it's fine because not only is it because the wound is still healing, but also because of the sudden movements.

But she's hungry and the hospital food is gross. The cute younger nurse gives her a pudding parfait, and Chloe devours it in seconds. It is the only good thing she can stomach, because everything else is gross and bland. She can retry calling Drew to get her burgers, but she already owes him, even though she barfed the last one. Chloe picks up her phone and texts Steph, who was her second choice.

Steph appears an hour later with the same burgers Drew brought her the last time, with a medium fries and the thickest milkshake that puts her mother's to shame. "I love you, Steph."

"You owe me Price," Steph says.

"Jesus fucking Christ, I owe you and Drew?" Chloe groans. "Tell you what. When I get out of this hospital, I will treat you, Drew, and Elamon to lunch at my mom's restaurant. How does that sound?"

"Good," Steph smiles. She steals a fry and eats it before Chloe can protest.

Chloe doesn't even feel nauseous after her meal. It may not be on par with her mom's meal, but it's something. She starts getting up and looking around the hospital waiting room, noticing the different patients and residents moving about. It's so boring in her room and Steph already headed out so she can go to class, so maybe she can find something to do around here instead of thinking about Rachel again, or her near death experience.

The last time she was at the hospital, she stumbled upon a really disturbing conversation between Nathan's dad and an old classmate's mother. The last time Chloe has heard from Samantha Myers, she graduated from Blackwell without taking the optional senior program, and that was it. Chloe isn't care much for her, but she had her ribs broken by someone she trusted.

But, she eventually finds out what the girl has been doing. "Hey, Samantha."

Samantha widens her eyes, and approaches Chloe. "Oh my god, it's been so long! How are you, Chloe?"

"Better, now that I've awoken from my week long slumber and have a gnarly scar on my chest," Chloe replies.

Samantha never understood Chloe's dark humor in the past, but she definitely understood that. She laughs. "I'm not gonna lie, I missed your dark humor. When I heard the news about you getting shot by Nathan and all that stuff he exposed, I was a little surprised."

"By Nathan's behavior?"

"No, not by Nathan," Samantha frowns. "I was surprised by you getting shot. I just...I never expected you to get involved with whatever bullshit that was going on with Nathan. He's a piece of shit for killing Rachel, almost killing you, and...ugh, breaking my ribs."

"Yeah, he is," Chloe agrees.

"His father made me and my mom to never speak on it in exchange for hush money," Samantha explains. "My mom accepted it because we needed money to continue my education at Blackwell, but I never forgot it. I never wanted to stop talking about it. I wanted people to hear what Nathan Prescott did to me."

"Have you, uh, told anyone?"

"Sadly no, even though the talk of Nathan Prescott is still in everyone's mouths, including the Arcadia Bay Beacon and their expose on his troubling mental health, as if that's important to understand why Nathan did the shit he did. Then they claimed that Nathan requested an insanity plea, because he believes he wasn't in the right state of mind when he overdosed Rachel and almost killed you." She takes a deep breath, looking away. "Anyway, I hope you didn't mind my rambling."

"Hey, it looks like you needed it," Chloe replies, placing a hand on Samantha's shoulder. "So, do you work here or are you visiting someone?"

"I'm an intern," Samantha answers. "It's unpaid, of course, but hey, it looks good for when you graduate college and want to get a job instantly. I want to be a surgeon."

"That's cool," Chloe smiles. "I once wanted to be an engineer. I liked getting my hands dirty as a kid...but ever since my dad, I haven't even cared much about my education. I flunked out and got myself involved in stupid shit. Just look at me. I'm in a hospital, bored as hell, trying to heal from this stupid gunshot wound that I caused my damn self."

Samantha gives Chloe a concerned look. "It's not too late for you. Maybe this little accident can make you realize that you can do something in your life. Sometimes, near death experiences...they're weird but they make you think and analyze. Like yeah, the situation could've went better but it didn't go that way. We just simply move on and make better versions of ourselves."

"Thanks for that, Samantha."

"You're welcome," she says back. "I'm gonna go back to work. If you're staying here for the rest of the week, I'll still be here if you need to talk."

Chloe nods, and that gives Samantha enough confirmation to go back to her job.

* * *

The doctor says that Chloe is healing well and may be discharged soon if things go well. Chloe is more than happy because that means she can go back to doing what she does best: not being at the hospital. She gets visited by Max after finding out about her healing process, who is more than happy to hear the news.

"What should we do once you get out?" Max asks.

"I got a date with Steph and Drew on Monday so after that i'm all yours, Maximus," Chloe answers. "If you're wondering why I have a date with them, I owe them because they brought me burgers when I asked for it."

Max chuckles. "You need a better variety of foods, Price."

"Listen, I had to eat gross ass hospital food and drink bland meal replacements. I couldn't do it anymore," Chloe explains. "That was the foods I was craving at the time."

Max shakes her head. Things will never change, and she's so glad for it. Should she ever tell Chloe about the alternate universes, from when she used the fire alarm instead of recording the ordeal in the bathroom? Or maybe the time when she told Chloe about her power and they went on countless adventures together like they were kids again? Maybe she can mention the time Chloe dared her to kiss her, and she fucking did it like the daring little sap she is? Or the tornado, the freak snowstorm, the birds and beached whales, the double moon or the solar eclipse?

"Hey, Max, what's troubling you?"

Max snaps out of it and stares at Chloe. "Uh, nothing. Just thinking…"

"About what?"

"What if I didn't save you? What if you actually died in that bathroom?" Max sighs.

"Then I would've just died," Chloe replies, matter of factly. "Listen, if we had the power to rewind time or change the course of history, there would be total chaos. One small change makes big differences. It's chaos theory. What, they don't teach you this in school?"

Max has had chaos theory explained so many times that she probably is the main reason why it existed. "They do, but don't you think it would be cool?"

"Hella yes, I would think it's cool," Chloe answers honestly. "I would've changed a lot of shit...like not letting Rachel go see that photography teacher for headshots and doing it my damn self with my dad's camera. Maybe I'll prevent my dad from dying. But...then I would know that it will turn to shit. Rachel may not have died in the Prescott bunker to be buried by Nathan, but she would've died some other way. If I stop my dad from dying, then maybe someone else would have died, like me or my mom. It's the butterfly effect."

At least she's aware, Max says to herself. "Maybe it's great that things worked out for the better."

"Exactly," Chloe smiles. "I'd also rewind time a couple times to get myself out of weird situations, or to enjoy the hell out of a situation, like if I were to kiss a pretty girl, I'd rewind many times to relive every moment if it." Max blushes. That's exactly what she did when Chloe dared to kiss her in the other timeline. "The blush on your face confirms that you'd do it too. You were probably thinking of Waldo."

"Waldo?"

"I know you know Warren," Chloe replies. "He's a huge nerd. Sweet kid, but a huge nerd."

Max shrugs. "I do know Warren, but I wasn't thinking of Warren. I wasn't thinking of a guy...this time."

"So it's a girl this time?" Chloe smirks. "Didn't know you were bi, Caulfield."

"Well, Victoria doesn't call me Gayfield for nothing."

Chloe howls in laughter. "Gayfield?"

"I call her Leztoria," Max replies. "I think that's a fair trade."

Chloe keeps laughing. "I think i'm more surprised that you managed to befriend the Queen Bitch of Blackhell."

"She can be nice when she wants to," Max defends.

Chloe shrugs. She doesn't know Victoria very well to make that observation so she can't say anything. But she did come in here and ripped Chloe a new one for the way she treated Max beforehand, so maybe she is nice. "Back to my original point. You were thinking of a girl. Out with it, Maxine. Who is it, huh? Steph?"

Max shakes her head. "She's tempting, but no."

"Hm, Icky Vicky? Juliet? Dana? Brooke?"

"Neither of 'em," Max replies. "Although there are times I would love to shut Leztoria up by kissing her, I wouldn't waste my power on her though."

"Damn, you'd have a great time with Juliet though. How about Alyssa? Stella? Or that girl that you mentioned once...Kate? Or Taylor?"

"No, no, no, and no," Max denies.

"That only leaves me then," Chloe points out. "Unless you went all MILF and want to kiss some older woman."

Max laughs. "Hell no. I haven't thought about some older woman to kiss. That'd be gross."

"So it was me." Max blushes upon seeing Chloe's slowly reddening face and smug smirk. "Aw, Gayfield. You would waste your rewind power kissing me!"

Max already did in a different timeline. "Sure, why the fuck not?"

Chloe raises both eyebrows. "Ok, Max. You wanna kiss me so bad?" She sits up and faces Max, her gaze on Max turning flirty. "Do it. I double dare ya."

This must be some deja vu because Max seriously had this happen. Chloe surely didn't double-dog dare her, but still. It was good the first time, so maybe the second time (or third time, from when she kissed Chloe after deciding to sacrifice her) will be just as good...or better. Max leans in and kisses Chloe, who definitely doesn't pull back. Shit, it is better than the first and second time. It's better than kissing Warren, which she had to rewind because she felt weird for doing it.

They couldn't go any further because Chloe's sitting on the bed and neither girl wanted to make any sudden movements, so Chloe pulls away, smirking. "Well, damn, Maxine."

"Damn indeed."

* * *

Chloe had no idea what that meant. She just kissed her best friend, and she enjoyed it. What the fuck. She was sure that Max was straight or just disinterested in people altogether, but when she kissed Chloe, it threw all doubts out the window. Then again, Max confirming her bisexuality should've been it.

She sighs, her head hitting the pillow. What does this mean for fuck's sake? Does she want to try something with Max? Is this their something more? The last time she proposed a something more with someone, it was Rachel and she isn't amongst the living. She enjoyed her time with Rachel, even when they fought over Rachel picking parties over Chloe or often showing up to the Price home drunk or high as hell because she just got the hookup from Bowers.

Fuck, she misses Rachel. If she were here right now, Chloe would be cheating. Is it still cheating because she's dead? "No, Chloe," she says to herself, out loud.

Rolling her eyes, she sinks deeper into the hospital bed, letting sleep overtake her.

She wakes up at the rooftop of Blackhell. Wondering how she got there, she looks down to see that she drew a crowd. What the hell, she thinks. She turns around to see a door open, Rachel standing there with the last outfit she seen Rachel in — a signature flannel shirt, a band tee underneath, and a pair of shorts. "Chloe, don't jump."

"Now why would I do that?" Chloe deadpans.

"Don't get smart with me," Rachel frowns. She walks to the edge of the roof and sits down on the ledge. Chloe decides to follow suit. "They look like ants from down there."

Chloe looks down to only see the people in her life, who made both positive and negative impacts in her life — her mom, David, Max, the Ambers...they either look worried or expectant, that Chloe would just jump. "Are they wishing I'd just jump?"

"Maybe, but would you do it if I told you to?"

Chloe scoffs. "Fuck no. You don't own me, Rachel."

"True." It stays silent for a while, the sky not clearing up. It starts flashing lightning, and it gets so dangerously close to Chloe that she almost jumps away, but Rachel grabs her wrist. It hits Rachel instead, and now Rachel is pale and bruised, her cheeks and eyes gaunt. She appears as a living corpse in front of Chloe, who is instantly disgusted but doesn't move. "My life ended too shortly, Price. You know that."

"Yeah, I do," Chloe says.

"But yours doesn't need to end too. You're gonna grow up eventually and move on, and I have nothing but the utmost faith for you."

"Are you breaking up with me, Amber?" Chloe jokes.

"Indeed I am," Rachel jokes back. "You see that girl right there?" Rachel points to Max, who has her face red from crying and her hands folded almost as if she's praying. Chloe nods instantly. "She might be the next Mrs. Chloe Price, since I can't be it of course."

"Rachel Amber-Price would've been great," Chloe quips.

"True, but Chloe Price-Caulfield doesn't sound bad either."

Chloe laughs, pushing Rachel a little. She instantly changes back to her living self, and laughs along with Chloe. "But anyway, that's my queue. Sera says hi, by the way." Rachel slides off the ledge and jumps, but instead of falling on the floor, she disappears.

Chloe slowly opens her eyes, feeling even more refreshed than she ever been. She checks her phone to check the date, and surprise, it's discharge day. She smiles to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chloe grins upon seeing her mother bringing four sets of plates to her table. "Finally, real fucking food."

"Watch your mouth," Joyce reprimands. "Ok, Belgian waffles and bacon for Stephanie...chicken and waffles for Drew...a stack of chocolate chip pancakes for Mikey...and a double bacon cheeseburger with steak cut fries, fresh out of the fryer for my ungrateful daughter."

Chloe narrows her eyes. "Thanks, Joyce," Steph, Drew, and Mikey say in unison.

"Yeah, Thanks, mom," Chloe grumbles. Once her mother disappears, Chloe immediately starts ripping into her burger. "Fuck. This is a real burger, Stephanie and Andrew. _This_ right here. Not the shit you got from the drive thru."

"I didn't come here to be insulted, Price," Steph retorts.

"I'm missing something here," Mikey says, feeling out of the loop.

"I wanted burgers when I was at the hospital so I asked Drew and Steph to get me some," Chloe explains, stirring her milkshake with a fry. "I wasn't ready to digest solid food when Drew got me a burger, so I barfed...but I was able to stomach it when Steph came through."

"Mmmmm, you're lucky we don't have weak stomachs," Drew recoils, remembering the gross gagging sounds when Chloe threw up at the hospital. "Now, can we eat in peace without _any_ mentions of vomit?"

"Pussy," Chloe taunts. Drew throws a piece of chicken at her, making everyone else laugh at the table. "You better cease throwing food at me. I'm the one paying, remember?"

Drew sticks his tongue out, and continues to eat. Chloe chuckles under her breath. She definitely kept her promise to treat her best friends for lunch — or brunch since it's still 11 in the morning — and it gives her nothing but satisfaction to see them smiling and laughing.

She wishes Max can be here though. It will definitely make the experience a lot better. Steph already liked Max, and neither Drew nor Mikey had any ill thoughts about her, so they can easily be friends. Rachel could've been instant friends with Max. She would've done Max's birth chart first, then befriend her though. She once read Drew for filth when she did his birth chart, which made Chloe laugh until she got to hers. She pointed out her slight similarity to Drew, which is why they are so close now, but then there was a bunch of other shit and that made Chloe end the reading abruptly.

Once Chloe pays for her friends' meals, she drives Mikey to school while Steph goes to work and Drew goes back to Oregon State. She waves to Mikey, who thanks her for the ride, and sees him go straight to a table where they're playing tabletop games.

She kinda misses school. Thinking of that conversation with Samantha a few days back, she might just make her engineer dream a reality...but she will never convince Wells to make her come back to Blackwell. First off, she just got shot at a bathroom here. Second, she hates Blackwell and most of the students here. Third, convincing a principal to come back to a school is probably impossible; she's only seen it on television and she's not gonna simulate it in front of her apathetic drunkard of a former principal. Thankfully there is one other school in the entirety of Arcadia Bay and she can go there if she wants...or maybe online school will be better.

She has research to do...a lot of it.

* * *

Max can't stop thinking of that kiss.

She thought school would distract her for a few hours until she becomes a starstruck recluse inside her room, but nope. Her teacher Mrs. Matthews calls on her again and she doesn't know shit. When Ms. Grant calls on her, she's hopeless. She might be failing classes, all because she kissed Chloe Price at the hospital.

 _Fuck._

She even asks Victoria, Kate, and Warren for notes, since they're the only people who take decent notes in class, but Max knows that they're tired of Max not paying attention in class and taking her own notes. She sighs deeply, and puts her books inside her locker.

"Seriously Gayfield, take your own notes," Victoria reprimands, giving her her photography notes. "This is the last time i'm giving you my notes, ok?"

Max nods. "I know. I just...it's not Mrs. Matthews this time."

Victoria raises both her eyebrows. "Which girl has Gayfield starstruck in class?"

"I kissed Chloe a few days ago," Max confesses. "And it was the best kiss I've ever had."

"It's probably the only kiss you ever had," Victoria jabs. Shit...it totally was. Even in the alternate universes, it was Max's first kisses with Chloe...and Warren that one time. Max casts her head down in shame. "Holy shit, Max. You were seriously a mouth virgin before you kissed Price? Damn...it was a joke! I swear!"

"I know, but still," Max frowns.

"Ok ok ok, my bad, Max," Victoria sighs. "Well? Do you like her?"

"I do," Max confesses. "I don't know if she likes me back though. She did kiss back, but maybe it was for pity or something."

"If she did kiss you for pity, I'mma kick her ass," Victoria mumbles. Max can see the passion in her eyes, and almost smiles on how close they've gotten in the past week. "But, maybe she does like you, Gayfield. You aren't...that bad at least, in my opinion. Some may say…in certain angles… that you're pretty."

Max laughs out loud. "Why was that so hard for you to say?"

"Because unless you've been living under a rock, i'm trying to be nice instead of a bitch, and sometimes I fall back into old habits…sometimes I can't compliment well without canceling it and insulting you."

"Well in that case, some may say in certain angles that you're pretty too," Max retorts. Victoria glares at her. "Now you understand how ridiculous that sounded?"

"No bitch, i'm _gorgeous_ ," Victoria states, smirking, and gesturing to her body. "If i'm not turning heads from being the biggest bitch of Blackwell, it's because i'm gorgeous as fuck."

"Ok, Leztoria, I fold," Max says, laughing.

Victoria glares at her again, rolls her eyes, and throws an arm around Max. "Let's go get some lunch, fellow homo."

Max groans a little. "But I'm bi, Vic."

"Shut up, Max."

* * *

Chloe is already looking at different online schools when she hears the door open. "You got a guest," David announces.

"Thanks, David. Let 'em in." David steps to the side to let Max enter the room.

"You need anything?"

"No, David," Chloe replies, rolling her eyes. "But you can close the door when you leave, that'd be great."

David laughs. "Close the door when you have one of your lady-friends inside your room? Hah!"

"She's my best friend, so you can trust that you won't hear any suspicious sounds or smell any weed," Chloe retorts, with an innocent smile on her face. David complies, shutting the door behind her. "Jesus H. Christ. He's a nuisance."

"You getting along with David? I'm surprised," Max says.

"Life's short, Caulfield," Chloe shrugs. "I don't like David...never will, actually, but if I can pretend to get along with him so my mom won't get mad, I can do that."

Max smiles a little. She didn't like David either, but this is a pale difference than watching Chloe get smacked in the face and verbally abused by David. "What you doing anyway?"

"Researching online school," Chloe replies. "I'mma try to go back to school and get my diploma, and then go to college and study to be an engineer. I kinda got inspiration from a friend to take chances now that I got my second chance at life."

"You wanna be an engineer?"

"Always have, Maxie. Did you forget about me or something?" Chloe has always been a science student, which is why she got into Blackwell. But she loved engineering and mechanic work, no matter how many science related accolades she received as a kid. She loved drawing and appreciated the arts, but her heart belonged to engineering. She could do a lot if she wanted to, her talents broadening her horizons to be anything she wants, but engineering is calming. She fixed a car using just her dad's tools. There's no telling what she can also do.

Max shrugs. "Kinda."

Chloe smiles, and turns around to face her computer screen. "You ready to head out or you wanna hang in here and talk shit? Your call. David might let me go outside, considering i'm an adult, but he's been learning to trust me more these days. That near death experience kinda made us up."

"Stay in," Max replies. "We can head out much later if you'd like."

"Sounds like a plan, Caulfield." Chloe gets up from the chair and heads to her bed. Chloe still feels a little weird around Max especially after their little kissing session a few days ago, but she's willing to continue a friendship. Most people would avoid each other after a kiss so passionate and short lived, but not Chloe. She still wanted to kiss Max silly though, give her a real and proper makeout session (even though she promised David she wouldn't do _any_ funny business in here). "So...did you have any friends at Seattle?"

"I had two," Max replies. "Their names were Kristen and Fernando. I haven't even contacted them since I moved back here. I don't think they miss me much, considering that they had to force me to socialize most of the time."

Chloe frowns a little. "Shit, man. I didn't think it was that bad."

"No worries. Me moving back here made me make more friends than I ever did at Seattle," Max says.

"Maybe you needed to be around gays," Chloe jokes.

Max rolls her eyes. It was then she realized that the majority of her friends are gay; Victoria and Chloe are lesbians, and Warren confided in Max sometime ago that he's bisexual. Kate is debatable, but she appears straight. There's also her acquaintances, like Steph, who is a lesbian. "God, you're right."

"Exactly!"

"How did you meet your friends? Like Rachel?"

"I met Rachel at a mill concert," Chloe replies, remembering every detail of her encounter with Rachel at the mill. It was magical. "She saved me from a group of punks who were harassing me after I bumped into one accidentally...fuck, I miss her so much."

"Did she have a funeral?" Max inquires, a little confused that Chloe hasn't been invited or informed of a funeral service for Rachel's remains. Chloe should at least say one last goodbye before she was buried.

"Yeah, but her parents weren't huge fans of me," Chloe shrugs. "After I told Rachel the truth of her origins, which is a hella long story, they resented me for it. Telling her the truth severed her relationship with her parents, but I felt that it was the best decision to do because Rachel has been continuously lied to by an elitist asshole and his passive wife. My mom thankfully went for me and said it was beautiful."

"That fucking sucks."

"It is what it is, Maximum," Chloe shrugs. "Now, my best friend Steph...she gave me a copy of Blade Runner Director's Cut for free when we first talked and Mikey, the huge ass nerd, let me play one of his badass tabletop games, akin to the ones we used to play as kids. Steph is a lesbian like me, so we instantly clicked, especially after she helped me through a coming out process, and Mikey is hella fun to be around, even without Steph. He's always playing games when I see him but other than that, he's nice."

"I instantly liked Steph when I met her," Max admits. "She just seems so cool...and she loves you a lot."

"Yeah, I love her too," Chloe laughs.

"What about that other guy, Drew? He seemed really sad and concerned for you when we first met."

"Drew," Chloe smiles. "I kinda was at odds with him because he bullied Nathan Prescott for reasons I look back now and realize they are hella valid, but after an issue with our ex-drug dealers, we got closer. I realize he's one of the sweetest, most gentle humans you will ever know, but he's also a fucking meathead. Anyways, that's all of my friends aside from you."

"How do you have more friends than me?"

"I think we have an even amount of friends. You got me, Victoria for some crazy ass reason, Kate, and Waldo. I have you, Drew, Steph, and Mikey."

"Stop calling him Waldo," Max giggles.

"Waldo sounds a hecka lot better than Warren, so it's Waldo," Chloe laughs back. "He should go as Waldo as Halloween."

Max shakes her head. They continue to talk until it reaches almost sundown, so Chloe decides they should leave the house for a while and later on she'll drop Max off at the campus. Max wants to go back to the junkyard but she can totally understand if Chloe never wants to go back there because of Rachel's shallow grave sighting. Then again, the place holds a lot of memories and value to Chloe no matter what happened to Rachel, or Chloe in the other timeline. She still hated that they both fell for Nathan's stupid trap that day, causing her to be drugged and Chloe to get shot.

But now, they don't have to worry about that. Chloe takes Max to the harbor, where they just hang out and watch the sun down. The harbor isn't as popular as when they were kids. Very often, both Chloe and Max would hang out here if they weren't at their treehouse or at the diner or anywhere else. It's changed ever since the Prescott Foundation came and ruined it, but occasionally a person comes every now and then to just...chill. Add that there isn't much to do in Arcadia Bay except to fish, sightsee, and run drugs. Max wonders what happened to Frank in this timeline. In the other one, he either dies along with Pompidou, gets injured, or becomes an ally, but what happened now? Did he run away during the mess that was the Prescotts' doing? He was heavily, yet unknowingly, part of Jefferson's little game, so maybe he did get the chance to get out of here. He might just blame himself for Rachel's death since...it was his drugs that got in her system.

It also occurs to her that Chloe still doesn't know about Rachel's relationships with Frank and Mr. Jefferson. For the sake of their friendship and Chloe's mental health, she decides to keep it that way too. Why should she ruin Chloe's idea of who Rachel was? Plus, was Rachel really into those guys who used and manipulated some high school girl? It disgusts Max to think that both men had romantic and sexual relationships with a girl who was barely legal at the time of her death.

They manage to walk all the way to the beach, skipping a few rocks and enjoying the night breeze. It's like old times. Max remembers from the other timeline when she was here before the storm reached Arcadia Bay, and surely before her nightmare that made her realize that Chloe is way more than a friend, and that she has a lot more potential if she just applied herself more, like if the Everyday Heroes contest wasn't cancelled, she could've took a picture of doctors around Chloe during her coma, or when Chloe's friends were around her and it was just a quiet, yet bonding moment for all five of them.

"Hey Max?"

"Yeah?" Max turns around to look at Chloe.

"I'm glad you came back to Arcadia Bay."

Max instantly feels butterflies in her stomach. "Me too."

* * *

Finding an online school is tough, but Chloe manages to find one to fit her schedule. It sucks that she had to send her hella abysmal transcript from Blackhell but hey, if she's trying to go back to school, she has to be honest about shitting throughout her entire short lived high school career. She said it in the past, but she can sure as hell get the same grades as Rachel if she applied herself and just...not fight everyone. But, she doesn't give a shit about Blackhell as a whole.

Now that she's not at that school, she can surely push herself to get some good grades...maybe skip a grade or two and graduate online high school by 20. No, that's unrealistic. She's turning 20 soon. 21 is more realistic.

It's been weeks since she's been released from the hospital, two weeks to be exact. There's still a small twinge in her diaphragm, so she can't really bend down too much in hopes that she doesn't pull something, even though the doctors assure her that it's fine. She notices how bad her roots are showing and heads to the bathroom with her hair dye, hoping to touch them up. It's also growing at a weirdly fast rate.

When she finishes, she cleans the bathroom and wraps a towel on her hair. She misses Rachel being able to touch it up and blow dry it in the way she liked so much, but now she's dead and Chloe has to rely on herself to do it. It isn't that hard due to the six months of radio silence, but Rachel was always the stylish one between them. Chloe only provided the music and drugs.

She was also the one that knew what the fuck to do. The first time Chloe tried to retouch her hair on her own, she almost burned herself and got blue hair dye on one of her sheets. It still has a faint stain.

She combs and blow dries her hair, then out on some clean clothes. There's nothing for her to do. God, now that the mystery of Rachel is solved, there's nothing else to do. School has already been dealt with, and she doesn't always work either. She probably can't work at the shop anymore because of her injury. Fuck. It was nice having a job at the mechanic shop, but hey — she might get a better job one day and she can't wait for that.

* * *

It occurs to Max that in two days, Halloween is here. She hasn't really done much for Halloween because her friends never invited her to any costume parties and her school's costume party always sucked ass. Nonetheless, she expects Blackwell to go all out despite the Vortex Club being disbanded. When the club shut down, Dana still made sure that they had a costume party, with help from Juliet, Hayden, and Taylor. Max wasn't gonna go at first, but hell — Halloween comes once a fucking year.

She could always upgrade her childhood pirate costume. She still has her eye patch so now she needs other outfit pieces and embellishments.

So she finds herself inside the car, riding to the nearby mall with Victoria. The funny thing is, Arcadia Bay doesn't have a mall. Max has never ridden in a car with anyone other than Chloe so when she enters Victoria's Porsche she feels...weird. Victoria's playlist is weirder, but it's _Victoria_. She listens to a lot of top 40 while Max would rather listen to indie rock. Chloe liked classic and punk rock, but she _unironically_ has a Beyonce album in her shuffle playlist, which shocked Max.

"What? You cannot deny the true power of Queen Bey," Chloe had defended. "Plus, everyone has at least one mainstream artist they can stomach, Maxine."

"What are you gonna be for Halloween?" Max inquires.

"A huge lesbian flag," Victoria replies, sarcastically, with a smirk. "Honestly? I'm not even sure. That's why we're going to the mall, am I right?"

Victoria should totally go as one of those characters from her comics, Max says to herself. She still remembers finding a glowing wig in Victoria's room from when she went to scan Victoria's room for clues and while it surprised her, it made Victoria a lot more dynamic in her opinion. "I'm going as a pirate."

"Embracing your inner Jack Sparrow or something?"

Max shrugs. "Something like that."

When they get to the mall, the first place they head is a Halloween shop that appears at the vacant lot almost every year from September to November. Max finds a complete costume, but she hated the fake jewelry that came with it so right after she pays for her costume she heads to a novelty jewelry store while Victoria checks out a cosplay store. After getting her embellishments, she waits for Victoria to finish.

When she steps out, Max tries to peer into Victoria's bag. "Don't be nosey, Gayfield."

"Hey! You know my costume, so why can't I know yours?"

"Because, I say so. Now, let's get something to eat before we go back to Blackwell."

The party is really fun, despite not having any drugs or alcohol swimming around. It's held somewhere other than the pool area, which has a lot of advantages because now everyone can dance and socialize instead of getting high. Nonetheless, Max has the time of her life. When she meets up with Victoria, she was surprised that she didn't go as a Final Fantasy character. Although, Victoria gets so mad that no one knew who she went as.

Except for Mikey North, who kept calling her Marisa Kirisame all night. "Jesus H. Christ. Is _Mikey North_ the only other person who plays Touhou in this blasted school?" Victoria complains.

"Yes," Mikey replies. "Trust me, I've asked."

What surprises Max is that Kate turned out, but she went as an angel (which a lot of people weren't surprised by but she came, which is a surprise especially after what happened at the last party she attended). "Nice costume," Max compliments, which brings a smile on Kate's face, that lasts almost the entire night.

Chloe shows up two hours late with a similar outfit to Max's. "Dude!"

"I thought you said you were gonna wear the captain's blazer," Max points out.

"Yeah, and then it ripped," Chloe grimaces. "But hey, I'm still Cap'n Chloe." She looks to the left, looking at Victoria. "Marisa Kiri _bitch_!"

"Bite me, Kari Price!" Victoria shouts back.

"Will you two _ever_ get along?" The glares she received from both girls indicate that it will never happen. "Ok, ok, forget I ever asked!"

When the party ends, Max goes with Chloe and they just hang out at the train tracks, eating leftover candy from the party. Max remembers the time she had to save Chloe many times over here and it makes her kind of scared to stay there, but Chloe's walking around with a grin on her face, with a bottle of "rum" in her hand (it isn't rum, it's iced tea) and belting out You Are A Pirate.

"I didn't know you still liked that song," Max grins.

"It's an anthem, Caulfield," Chloe says back. "Plus, why the fuck not, you know?"

Max shakes her head. Chloe pulls her aside and they walk further down the tracks, their arms around their shoulders, until they hear an oncoming train. Max instantly freezes, prompting Chloe to pull her aside, away from the train tracks, until the train passes. "Max, you ok? You froze for a moment there."

"Yeah." Max shakes the memories from Chloe's blood curdling screams before she gets hit by the train over and over and over again. She really hoped she could forget about shit like that, but unfortunately she can't. No matter what.

"Let's get you to your dorm."

* * *

Chloe gets accepted into online school. It doesn't surprise her, but she knows that she will not take this opportunity for granted. Should she tell mom and David? They would be hella proud of her of course. In a million years, she never thought of telling David anything, but he's a part of the family unless her mother sees something that she saw for a very long time: he's not that great. Oh well, here goes.

"I'm going back to school," she says during breakfast.

Joyce snaps her head to the side, looking at Chloe like she grew two heads. " _Did you just say you were going back to school?_ "

"Yes, mom. It isn't April Fools yet. I am actually going back to school. I just got accepted to an online school so I can get my diploma and go to college before I turn 30—" Before Chloe finishes, Joyce gets up and hugs her daughter. "—and become an engineer. Mom, come on, it's not that big."

"Yes it is," she says, with happy tears in her eyes. "My baby's getting her life back on track and that's all I ever wanted. David's going to be so proud to hear that."

Chloe lets her mother have that. Why not? "I start tomorrow."

She barely even tells her mother she quit her job recently, but it's not like she cares much. Joyce has told Chloe many times that she hated that job, so she figures that she might as well just quit now that she's not really at her best, after getting shot. She watches her mom leave the house, presumably to go to work, and now she's alone.

What happened on Halloween night has been on her mind for a little while. It isn't the first time Chloe noticed Max having a lost or forlorn look on her face, but when Chloe asks what's up, Max says something different and probably unrelated. It happened at the hospital and at the harbor. Chloe knows her best friend. She knows if something is troubling Max. So, maybe she has to ask Max about it, hoping that she will say something instead of dodging it.

She just has to play her cards right. Chloe can easily convince anyone to tell her the truth. It has worked many times in the past, and it surely can work this time.

She meets up with Max later in the day, after her classes. They decide to stay at Chloe's home, because now it's just too cold. Weirdly, right after Halloween, it instantly gets chilly to the point where Chloe has to wear a little more than a leather jacket. She hates the cold. It's the reason why she wanted to go to California with Rachel. "What's up?" Max questions.

Chloe cuts right to the chase. "What's going on with you Max? Ever since I woke up from my coma, you've been really deep in thought. Like...for example, on Halloween, you froze instead of moving out the way when the train was coming."

"Nothing," Max answers.

Chloe frowns. "Bullshit, Max. There's something bothering you and I wanna know what it is. We're friends, remember?" She pauses. "I would ask you if it was because of the kiss, but you've been like that even before that."

Max opens and closes her mouth. Should the truth come out now, about her former rewind powers and picture hopping? About everything that has happened before the storm that ruined Arcadia Bay in an alternate timeline? About saving William in one timeline? About solving the mystery of Rachel, about Nathan, and Jefferson, and how Kate tied into this? About Kate attempting suicide?

What about her relationship with Chloe? Does she need to know about how she fell for Chloe in the other timeline and is seemingly falling for her once again in this one? And, oh god, Rachel's extramarital relationships with Frank and Mr. Jefferson. Shit.

"Chloe, I don't know how to say this, but if I do say it, you have to promise me you won't freak out when I tell you."

"Dog, Maxine, it's like you're gonna tell me something extraterrestrial like you having time manipulating powers or something. Just tell me."

"Ok, but it's a long story." Max inhales, preparing herself with what she wants to say first. "I used to have time manipulating powers."

"I was kidding that time," Chloe states.

"Yeah but now i'm not. I used to be able to rewind time, and time-hop between pictures...and one time I froze time to save my friend Kate from killing herself."

"Kate tried to kill herself?"

Max nods. "But that's irrelevant right now. It started on Monday, October 7th, when you went to the girls' bathroom to discuss something with Nathan." Max explains everything that was supposed to happen if Max were to set off the fire alarm. She held nothing back. She even told Chloe about Rachel's extramarital relationships, and about their friendship turning into something more. She tells Chloe about what happened when Max saved William, and the outcome. It's an emotional conversation, which reduces both girls to tears, especially after Chloe heard about Rachel having relationships with two older men while they had their something.

"Fuck," Chloe mutters.

"I told you it was a lot."

"But shit," Chloe tries to wrap her head around everything. "Rachel was using me, one of your friends tried to kill herself, and we had something more?"

"Yeah."

"And you tried to save my dad, but you had to watch me die slowly but surely."

"Yeah," Max says.

Chloe puts her hands on her face. This was too much. She thought Rachel was loyal, but instead — no. Rachel was _manipulated_ by two older, gross ass men. That was it. Rachel may have had relationships with them, but she was _barely fucking legal_ before her death. Plus, Frank is almost in his thirties for fuck's sake. And Jefferson. That is crossing a line. He's a teacher, and Rachel was his student. That's abuse of power. Chloe isn't a stupid girl. She knew what was up.

She really wished the Save Dad timeline would've been better. Max, in the Vortex Club? Chloe is still trying to get used to Max's unexpected friendship with Victoria in this timeline. And Chloe almost dying because of her disability? It's madness. Rachel was still missing in that timeline, so maybe Jefferson was still doing his shitty photo dungeon thing, probably keeping her hostage instead of killing her.

Chloe slowly concludes to believe that the universe wanted her dead, especially after hearing Max tell her of her many times with death — the train tracks, the gun play at the junkyard, getting shot by Jefferson, almost getting harmed by Frank...it was inevitable that in someway, Chloe had to die. There was supposed to be a storm that ruined Arcadia Bay and Max had to choose between her best friend or Arcadia Bay. Max had chose to save Arcadia Bay, but there had to be a way to save Chloe because Max didn't want her best friend to die.

That's where the new Hospital Timeline — the current timeline —came into fruition.

And there was the other thing — Chloe and Max. It didn't surprise Chloe at all to hear that she had something with Max at this other timeline. After that kiss in the hospital, she has thought of Max in a different way that is beyond friendship and hopes that Max noticed it too. Maybe they can assess that later, but now, she needed some air.

"Chloe? You ok?"

Chloe glances up and stares at Max. "I don't know. I just had to hear from you that Rachel was cheating on me and that I was supposed to be dead if you didn't intervene. It's just...it's too much. I need some air."

"Oh." Max looks disappointed, which breaks Chloe's heart a little. She didn't want that to happen. "Uh, should I leave?"

"I'll drop you off at campus."

The ride is silent. It reminds Max of the time they found out about Rachel's cheating in the other timeline, which caused Chloe to have an emotional breakdown over Rachel's lying, and it was just a terrible time for both girls. That's when Max discovered her picture hopping ability. When she gets back to campus, Max watches her drive off, and she goes back to her dorm, holding back tears.


	5. Chapter 5

C.

You can tell how much I want you to read this letter since I've been dragging my ass to give it to you. Maybe I just want you to find it when i'm not around so we never have to talk about it. And I don't want you to hate me. Where to start?

I met somebody recently who's so different from the lame Vortex Club snobs. I know you'll have a meltdown when I tell you and think he's gross, but I swear he's wise and unconventional. Kind of scary, not in a "bad boy" way. He's just experienced some serious shit. Yes, i'm kinda obsessed with him. I won't blame you for freaking.

Maybe I know you're right and this just has to be my secret.

I hate not sharing this with you except I know you'd give me the stink eye and grill me for every stupid detail. If I even told you that last night we hooked up near campus—

Chloe crumples up the letter, and sighs angrily. This has to be about Jefferson, because there's no way in hell Rachel would explain dirty ass Frank Bowers as 'wise' and 'unconventional'. She never wanted to come back here after Rachel's decomposing body was exhumed a few yards away, but Max told her that story of having rewind powers and the things she found and she couldn't ignore it. Of course, Chloe couldn't go to Frank's RV since he's been missing in action since Chloe woke up, but if Max was right about this letter, she was right about Rachel's relationship with Frank.

But, Rachel was gonna leave her in Arcadia Bay. How long has she been planning to leave without Chloe? Was she gonna just up and leave with Frank or Jefferson, whomever she saw fit at the time, and become a model while Chloe worries about her and searches Arcadia Bay for her whereabouts just like the last six months? She'd hate herself and Rachel if that were to happen, but hey, at least Rachel will be alive, being the model she always wanted to be, right?

"Fuck." She hasn't thought of anything else all week, except for the information that Max told her. She's been able to focus on schoolwork but other than that, it's back to Max's supernatural time traveling powers and Rachel's mystery relationships.

But she knows one thing — she needs to get the fuck out of here, and fast. Staying at the American Rust now just brings bad memories and premonitions. Just being in this secret hideout brings bad vibes towards Chloe's way.

* * *

Max hasn't talked or heard from Chloe all week.

She suspected as such. Telling your best friend that not only did you acquire rewind powers at one point but to also find out that the love of her life had two other relationships, and the Arcadia Bay storm that they had to watch out for is a lot to handle. Max seriously doesn't know how she did it without going mental.

Nonetheless, the holidays are coming now that Halloween is over and done with, so that means colder weather and premature Christmas decorating. Max would love to go home but she feels that her time isn't finished, and yet it's so limited.

She misses Chloe.

They had half a decade of zero communication, and it seems like this is part two to their radio silence. Max knows it's her fault that they haven't talked for that long but she felt like she had nothing to say. Chloe seemed to talk about her unfortunate things in life when Max needed something to lift her spirits up after the move, and after dealing with even worse bitches than Victoria Chase.

But, they just made up. Chloe forgave Max in this timeline. It wasn't instant but it happened. Max wanted nothing more than to be best friends with Chloe again, and a week surely wasn't enough. Now, after telling Chloe things that she promised never to tell, their dynamic changes. It's almost as if their times together — their pirate talk, sharing their backstories on how they became friends with the people they're close with, and the kiss — didn't matter anymore.

She finishes her photography essay and closes the document manager after saving it, hoping to get some sleep. It's around two in the morning, and hell — a paper is done best the night before when the sun truly doesn't shine.

Max goes to bed and sleeps, hoping her alarm clock will wake her up early enough to get breakfast.

It almost doesn't. Max wakes up to the sound of someone banging on her door. "Shit!" Max hisses.

"Gayfield! You better not be just waking up!"

Max cringes, and opens the door for Victoria, who looks positively livid. "I'm sorry, Victoria. I spent almost the entire night doing that photography paper and—"

"Max, you know I don't like eating breakfast after nine!" Victoria groans.

"I'm so sorry! Look, it's eight thirty, and we can still get breakfast if I get dressed and you drive really fast. It's gonna work out, I swear."

Victoria sighs. "Alright, alright. Even I have been in your footsteps a few times doing a paper or two until four in the morning. But you're still gonna shower. Your ass stinks, Gayfield."

Max sticks her tongue out. "Fuck off, Leztoria."

They don't get to eat breakfast before nine but Victoria's in a surprisingly good mood this morning so she doesn't give a shit. She takes Max to the Two Whales Diner, igniting a squeal from the hipster. "I'm guessing this is not your first rodeo here?"

"Of course not," Max says. "I didn't even know you knew of this place, let alone like it."

"I love this place," Victoria replies. "When Joyce isn't threatening to kick me out."

Max snorts. "Come on, lesbo." Victoria glares at Max, who exits the Porsche laughing her ass off. "I don't got all day."

"I would kick your ass if you weren't my friend, Maxine."

"Aw, we're friends!" Max smiles.

They get a booth by the window and as soon as they get their menus, Max scans it before settling on a bacon omelette. Victoria is still looking when Joyce approaches them. "The mysterious Max Caulfield," Joyce smiles. "And friend."

"Hi, Joyce," Victoria mumbles, her eyes not tearing away from the menu.

"And a howdy hello to you too, Miss Victoria," Joyce greets back, sarcasm and amusement in her tone.

Victoria looks up and grimaces at Joyce. "I promise I won't get myself kicked out this time."

"Uh huh, where's your little friend Taylor?"

Victoria shrugs. "Back at school. She says hi."

Max snorts, while Joyce pours two cups of coffee. "Let me guess, a bacon omelette for you, Super Max?"

"Yeah."

"Can I have the all-American breakfast?" Victoria says.

"Of course you can," Joyce says back, with her customer service smile. Max knows Joyce doesn't have to write anything down because she knows what's on the menu enough to repeat it. It's only if someone requests something different, which isn't as often as Max would think. "I'll be out with your food."

After Joyce leaves, Max stares at her phone. Maybe she should initiate contact this time. She spent the last five years not texting Chloe not once, so maybe this is her chance? She needs to check on her, hope that Chloe is taking the news well because the last thing she wants is for Chloe to do something drastic. Chloe hated that Rachel lied to her in the last timeline, and even got into an emotional rampage over it. There's no telling what current timeline!Chloe would do.

"Earth to Maxine Caulfield," Victoria snaps her fingers in Max's direction, hoping to get the girl's attention. "What are you even doing anyway?"

Max sighs. "I haven't talked to Chloe all week." Max sees Victoria grimace. They could be good friends if Victoria would stop being a bitch to people other than Taylor or Max, and if Chloe would grow the fuck up. Max knows it. "I know you hate her, and i'm not gonna hear any argument you have against her."

"I know, that's why I kept my mouth shut," Victoria says. "Plus, you're in love with her. I gotta respect that."

Max gives Victoria an impressed smile. "You're really committed to being a nicer bitch, huh?"

"Leave me alone," Victoria grumbles. "But if you want my advice, text her first for fuck's sake. Don't be a pussy, Caulfield."

"Thanks for the awesome advice," Max says sarcastically, and focuses on her phone again. She composes a short text to Chloe, presses send, and faces her friend again. "Now I play the waiting game."

* * *

Chloe doesn't immediately respond. She sees the notification but she couldn't bring herself to reply, let alone read it. She growls after struggling over her stupid economics classwork — this shit is harder than she remembered — and decides to open a window to filter the air for her upcoming smoke break. David isn't home and that's the only confirmation she needs before pulling out a cigarette box and pulling one out. She lights it up, kicks her feet up, and enjoys the sweet smell of tobacco.

It's definitely not what doctor prescribed. Before she was cleared from the hospital, the doctor 'advised' Chloe to kick her tobacco (and other harmful substances) habit to the curve to help with healing...and living a better life, but shit. With school, Rachel's lies, Max's former rewind powers and well, Max in general, Chloe needs something. She could pull out the hidden magazine and vibrator under her bed, but that doesn't work either and then Chloe would have more mess to clean up, which will make her even more stressed.

Once Chloe finishes her cigarette, she faces her economics classwork once again. After minutes and minutes of not figuring it out, she gives up and grabs her phone to read Max's text again.

Max: can we talk sometime this week?

Chloe is a second away from lighting a second cigarette when she types a coherent message and presses send.

Chloe: yeah, how about tomorrow?

She grabs her textbook and hopes to God that the answer was right in front of her, or she might just drop economics altogether while she still has time to switch.

Turns out, the answer was right in front of her face. She finishes her work and submits it, turning off her computer and heading out, hoping a game of D&D with her best friends can take her mind off this bullshit.

She drives all the way to the Blackhell campus and heads to the bench where Mikey and Steph are already setting up for a game. "Chloe!" Mikey greets. "Glad you came."

"I need a game to take my mind offa things," Chloe says, and sits on the bench. "It's been one helluva week."

"Economics will do that to ya," Steph says back. "So glad I don't have to take that ever again in my life."

Chloe gives Steph a deadpan look. "Yeah, lucky you. But, that's the least of my worries."

Steph's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What's troubling you, Chlo?"

Chloe shouldn't tell Steph or Mikey about Max's rewind powers because that would cause pandemonium, so she decides to leave that out. "I just found out that Rachel was gonna leave Arcadia Bay without me, despite our talks about leaving once she graduates from this stupid school. She was in a relationship with Frank Bowers, my old drug dealer for fuck's sake...and she had a thing with Mark Jefferson. Why am I finding out these things about her, posthumously? Why couldn't she be honest with me?"

Mikey frowns. "Maybe she had a reason?"

"A reason to not tell me that she was in two relationships, if I can even call it that, with two older, disgusting men? We had something together and I guess that wasn't enough." Chloe shakes her head. "She even had a letter in our secret hideout that talked about how she met somebody and they hooked up on campus."

"Chloe, even you didn't know Rachel the best," Steph says. "We don't know her motive for doing the things she did, and we never will, and I think that's better. She was probably willing to take that secret to her grave because she knew it would break you if you ever found out. And i'm not condoning her extramarital relationships, even if they're gross as hell. What they did was gross, and what she did was no better, but some things are better left in the dark."

Chloe grimaces. "Well, that proved something. Even Rachel's a shitty person, just like everyone else. Do I hate her? A little bit, but I still love her."

Mikey shrugs. "Even the most perfect beings make mistakes. Now, can we play some D&D?"

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Ok, Elamon." They play for a while, until the sun sets and the weather gets relatively cooler. Chloe bids Mikey goodbye while offering Steph a ride back to her home a couple blocks from here, since it's on her way to her own house.

Once Chloe drives away from campus, that's when Steph speaks again. "There's something else, right?"

"Yeah, there is," Chloe replies, never tearing her eyes away from the road. "I think...I may be into Max."

"Maybe?" Steph laughs.

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Sue me, Gingrich. I haven't liked many girls other than Rachel."

"And that is fine and dandy, but you know how you feel, Price. I think you two would be great together. You two were friends, it makes for the perfect romance, in my opinion. Plus, Max cares about you a lot. She was in the hospital all week, way more than Joyce was. She's a keeper, Chloe."

Chloe stops right in front of Steph's home. "Thanks, Stephanie."

"Thanks for the ride." Steph and Chloe do a secret handshake. Steph exits the car and goes straight to her front door, and Chloe doesn't leave until Steph enters the house.

When Chloe gets to the front of her house, she checks her messages to see a reply from Max.

Max: name your time and place and I'll be there.

Chloe: the lighthouse at noon. don't be late, caulfield

* * *

Max is nothing but nerves when she gets to the lighthouse. It's chilly, but the weather is the last thing she cares about right now. Now, she wants to speak to Chloe. They need to talk again, because the radio silence isn't gonna happen again. Max doesn't want to take another five years to lawyer up and talk to Chloe, and she's sure Chloe doesn't want the same.

When she gets there, Chloe's already there with a thicker jacket on and her signature jeans and boots, with a beanie on. She's smoking a cigarette, which Max frowns upon. Chloe is still healing from her injury to her knowledge, but Max knows Chloe barely cares much about rules...or her life. Max sits down on the opposite side of the bench.

Chloe notices her, but doesn't say anything. They stay silent for a total of five minutes, watching the Pacific Ocean in front of them.

"Let's talk," Max proposes. "I did bring you here, right?"

"Well, yeah," Chloe replies, throwing her cigarette butt off the cliff. "Listen, what you told me, about Rachel…it had me thinking about a lot of shit…about how Rachel wasn't honest with me, and it had me think about a conversation I had with my dad about trust — and I know what you're gonna ask. It was a dream. But, he was right. I asked him if he ever lied to me or kept anything from me, and he did but he couldn't tell me because one, he was dead, and two, I told him i might love him less. That, amongst many other things, are the reasons why Rachel never told me about anything, but I always kept it real with her, no matter how much the truth hurts. And fuck, it hurts so much."

Max watches Chloe wipe her cheeks, something she thought about doing but she thought it was out of her place. "I don't understand Rachel more than you do, but I know that she loves you, even if she didn't love you the way you wanted her to."

"Yeah. I guess this is my karma for being into straight girls, huh." Chloe snorts, but it isn't humorous. "This whole thing taught me that people are shitty. They make shitty mistakes, and that's ok. I'm shitty as all as fuck too."

"You aren't shitty, and neither is Rachel," Max says. "People are allowed to make mistakes. That's what makes us grow. Rachel would've seen the error of her ways, if life had given her a second chance, but it didn't. Life gave you a second chance, Chloe. Yeah, I had a hand in it, but that's not the point. Rachel had her own demons to deal with, and it killed her. And it almost killed you too...so for the love of everything that is holy, Chloe, grow up. You only have one shot to better your life. Don't fuck it up. 'Cause I don't have my rewind powers anymore, and even if I still do, i'm not fucking with time ever again."

Chloe sighs, and looks at the ocean again. "I hear you."

It's silent again, both girls watching the ocean again. "This was the spot we were at when I watched that tornado rip my hometown piece by piece before I decided to come back here and fix everything up. It was then I realized that I had to stop fucking around. I put myself through so much to prevent a catastrophe from ripping my hometown into pieces, and as much as I hated Arcadia Bay, there are a lot more people who deserve to live a lot more than you...but you're my best friend and letting you die would hurt me a whole lot. I had to try one more thing, and it worked."

"But what if you had let me die, like I intended to?"

Max shrugs. "I would hate myself forever and ever. It wouldn't be a happy ending either way. I'd lose my best friend, and you'd die with zero knowledge about what happened to Rachel. And...I don't know. I felt that you deserved a chance to be a better version of the Chloe Price you were before you went in that bathroom, and the one in the other timeline that destroyed the town. I think you're capable of being that. Choices may come with consequences, but that doesn't mean all consequences are bad, you know? Some are good."

Chloe smiles a little. "I can understand that." Chloe takes Max back to school and they say nothing else until Chloe parks right in front of school. "I needed that wake up call. You have no idea."

"Good," Max says back. They say nothing for a while, the silence making everything awkward. Max fiddles with her thumbs while Chloe drums her fingers on the steering wheel. "I should go back to campus."

"Wait," Chloe calls after Max. She stops reaching for the door handle and turns her head. "Uh, we need to talk about something else…unless you have class."

"I don't."

"We should address what we have, because i'm very sure you know that there's something going on between us, and it's not friendship. It's something deeper. Ever since you mentioned our kisses in the other timeline, I thought...hey, it's not that different here because ever since you kissed me at the hospital, our dynamic kinda changed...and this is awkward as hell but—"

"I get it," Max interrupts. Chloe tilts her head and smiles. "Fuck, Chloe, do you know how relieving it is to hear you address that?"

"Were we little pussies in that other timeline?" Chloe jokes.

"No, we just never had time," Max jokes back.

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Alright, Caulfield."

"Let me take you out, Chloe," Max says forwardly. Chloe is immediately taken aback, wondering when did Maxine Caulfield find all that confidence in a small time frame. "I mean it. This isn't a joke."

"I know but...wowsers, Max. You surprise me every damn day." Max can't help but laugh. "Ok, Max. You wanna take me out so bad?"

"Yeah, Price, why the fuck not?"

Chloe starts laughing. "Fuck! Why can't we do anything right? We can't even ask each other out with a straight face. But, yeah, let's go on a date. What place you have in mind? Matching tattoos at my friend's aunt's place? Skinny dipping at the Blackwell pool? Smoking the dankest weed at the harbor?"

"You're ridiculous," Max sighs, hoping not to start laughing again.

"Drive-in it is," Chloe smirks. "Saturday night, seven o'clock. Don't be late, Caulfield."

"I should be telling you that, Price," Max says back. She finally exits the car and hears a honk. She turns around to see Chloe waving at her, blowing her a kiss, and driving off. "Fuck, Chloe, you are such a trip."

* * *

Max is hella nervous on Saturday evening, an hour before Chloe picks her up for their date. There's the idea of this being her first date, ever. She never went on dates back at Seattle because she never had boyfriends or girlfriends, and she wasn't really interested either. Boys often picked on her because not only was she a hipster, she was quiet, skinny, and a plain Jane. When her friends Kristen and Fernando often teased her about her looks, she always knew it's just in their lighthearted nature. Boys however, were demons. She rather deal with them than to deal with Nathan Prescott any day, however. Plus, girls weren't better. The girls were mostly straight, and even though Max didn't know she was bi until she moved back to Arcadia Bay, she always knew she wasn't straight. The prettiest girl made Victoria Chase look like God, and the lesbians at school were taken and often stayed in packs.

The other thing that made Max hella nervous? She owned nothing other than hoodies, doe t-shirts, and plain ass jeans. If only she had Rachel's outfit in the other timeline which made Nathan visibly shook. She wants to impress Chloe tonight. It's their first date, for Christ's sake. It's her first ever date. It may not be Chloe's first date ever, but it's her first date with Max.

Maybe she can ask Victoria? She has nice clothes. Hell, she'll ask Kate at this point. Kate always had skirts and blouses but she still looks better than Max on her rough days.

No. Chloe wouldn't mind much if Max was just being her shy, blend-in-with-the-crowd hipster ass self. Plus, they're going to a fucking drive in. Still, it would be nice having nicer casual clothes.

Max pulls out a couple items, places them on her bed, and takes her shower caddy with her to the bathroom. When she returns to her bed, she's instantly so surprised to see Victoria there staring at her clothes with disdain that she jumps nearly several feet in the air. "Leztoria, what the fuck?"

"I should say the same, Gayfield," Victoria replies, picking up a plain white t-shirt. "A simple t-shirt with simple boyfriend jeans? Are you cereal?"

Max smirks a little. Victoria uses her terminology from time to time. "It's the nicest thing I own, Vic. What else am I supposed to do? And we're just gonna see a movie. No big deal."

"Max, this is your first date, and as much as I hate Chloe, you gotta do a little better."

"What do you have in mind, 'cause i'm lost here."

The devilish smirk on Victoria's face scares Max, but she trusts Victoria...mostly. Victoria picks up the articles of clothing and heads towards the door. "You have a solid foundation but I think I can hook you up. I'll be back. You better have your underwear on when I knock on the door."

"What happened? Not used to seeing a naked body in front of you?" Max teases.

"Funny, but I've fucked girls with more meat than you." Max is left stunned when Victoria leaves. She shakes her head and puts some fresh underwear on. She has not that much time to waste before Chloe calls her downstairs (or surprise her by coming to the Prescott dorm) but she hopes Victoria doesn't take that much time.

A few minutes later (seven minutes in total), Victoria appears with the same shirt and jeans combo. "I tried in the smallest time frame." Max notices the small patches on her jeans, which makes her smile a little. At least Victoria tried. She quickly puts them on, along with some canvas sneakers. "Here's an old blazer I don't wear much anymore. It kinda goes for the relaxed look you're going for...and you can keep it if you want."

"This is nice, thanks Vic."

"Yeah yeah. Don't tell anyone I did this for you." Max scans Victoria's face, and knows it's just her way of saying 'you're welcome'. "Now, go get your girl and stop staring at me."

Max rolls her eyes. "Bye, Leztoria."

"Bye Gayfield." Max shuts the door and gets a text on her phone. She checks it, takes her coat, and heads outside. Chloe is waiting by the parking lot, waving both her hands so Max can see her. Max quickens her pace until she gets to Chloe's truck.

Chloe is wearing the same flannel shirt that Max wore in the other timeline, around her waist. Max didn't recognize it at first, but when she gives Chloe a quick once-over, she notices it. "You're wearing Rachel's flannel?"

"It fits the aesthetic."

Max smirks. "Well, you look good anyway."

Chloe instantly turns red, making Max smile wider. "Come on, before the movie starts."

The ride is mostly silent, with Chloe killing the silence with her playlist. When they reach the drive-in, there's only a couple cars parked and a preview playing. Max stays still watching the preview while Chloe announces she's gonna get something from her trunk. It takes her a few seconds but she returns with a huge bag of snacks. Max snatches the chocolate covered raisins before Chloe even thinks about grabbing them. "Wow, Max. You just snatched my snacks without even asking?"

"You know how much I love these, Chloe," Max states.

"You're lucky I thought about getting another one." Max rolls her eyes and glances at the screen. It's mostly silence for the entire movie, except for the occasional chuckle, gasp, or groan. Max notices Chloe putting her arm around her shoulders, so she leans into Chloe's warmth, knowing her scar is on her left side. It feels so good to be under Chloe like this. She wonders if she instead picked the other option to save Chloe instead of the city, would they be like this? Hell, if they addressed their feelings before the storm, would they be like this?

But she doesn't keep dwelling. The credits roll in and Chloe's already driving Max away, to the direction of the campus. "That was fun. Thanks for all of this."

"And I thank you, for asking me out — no, suggesting that we should go out. This hellish town has nothing to do but we make the best of it."

Max agrees. She hasn't been to much spots as a kid in Arcadia Bay, and most places don't last forever. The diner and the drive-in theater are only the other date spots other than the Rue Altimore (which is hella expensive, to her knowledge) and no one wants to travel to Portland unless they're willing to spend a night there. So, Max is actually hella thankful that they are able to do what they can inside this town.

Max wanted something with Chloe, in this timeline, and the other timelines before that. She's more than happy that things worked out here.

As she looks out the window, she can already see that she's already at Blackwell, Chloe just looking for a parking spot at the parking lot. "We're here."

"I can see that." Max unbuckles the seatbelt off her torso, and is seconds away from opening the door when Chloe appears right in front of her, opening the door. "Wow, you are fast."

"Or maybe it's because you're slow?" Chloe quips.

Max frowns a little. "I'm not slow."

"Sure, now let me walk you back to your dorm like the gentlelady I am." Chloe gives Max her hand, and Max takes it without hesitation. Max closes the door behind her and they walk to the dormitories, never letting go of each other's hand. "I hate this school but it's hella peaceful at night."

"Yeah, it's also cold," Max replies, shuddering a little.

Chloe takes off her scarf and wraps it around Max's neck. "I'm not taking off my coat so this is the next best thing."

Max immediately feels warmth. It relaxes her. "Thanks."

When Chloe drops her off at her door, there's an awkward silence until Max idly waves at her and reaches for her room key to open her door. When she does, she turns to face Chloe again. "Goodnight, Chloe."

"Goodnight, Max."

Max smiles a little, and deciding that this would be a perfect time to do what she wanted to do for a long time, she grabs Chloe's hands, stands on her toes, and kisses the taller bluenette. Chloe immediately melts into it, letting go of Max's hands and pulling her closer by grabbing her waist.

It's better than the hospital kiss, or the bedroom kiss, or the end of the world kiss. It's their first date kiss, and Max hopes there's more to come in their future together.


	6. Chapter 6

Max takes a cautious sip, feeling anxious about trying the fusion tea that Kate introduced her to: ginger and peppermint. Max doesn't like ginger tea much, but Kate swears by it so she's here on a Sunday morning inside her dorm, drinking a fusion she has never tried before. "Nice in theory, weird in taste," Max tells her.

"At least I tried," Kate says, rolling her eyes a little. Max hasn't been hanging out with Kate much but she sees how much Kate is improving after going to see a school psychologist every week. "But try this scone my sister suggested. I think it's cranberry walnut. You're not allergic to any nuts, right?"

"That sounds delicious." Max takes one from the tray and takes a bite. "It's as delicious as it sounds. It's not too dry either. And to answer your question...I wouldn't have eaten this if I were allergic to nuts."

"Good, because I can't haul ass to the hospital," Kate jokes.

Max smirks - dark humor has never been Kate's style but maybe being more grounded had a hand in it. "October went by so quickly. The first minute i'm in a bathroom saving my best friend, the next minute, it's almost thanksgiving."

"Yeah," Kate agrees. "I still can't believe you saved your best friend like that. It's almost like you predicted that it was gonna happen."

Max wants to laugh at that. Yeah, predict. More like...rewind time so many damn times to prevent Chloe's imminent death and then went back to this timeline to try one more thing so Max won't go through her entire life in grief. "I had to. He killed one girl already. He didn't need to add another girl to his growing body count...one that is my best friend, whom I care for more than anyone else."

"Sounds like you love her." Max raises an eyebrow. Never would she have guessed that Kate would have known that just by that sentence alone. She hears a scoff, breaking away from her train of thought. "I may be a Christian, but I'm not a homophobe, nor am I an idiot. You love her, Max. You spent an entire week, out of school, hoping she'd wake up from her coma, so she must mean something special to you. It's always nice to have someone like that."

"Yeah, it does," Max says, smiling to herself.

"Kinda wish I had someone like that. God's always good, but…"

"I know what you mean." Max swallows the rest of her cooling tea. "Have any ideas on who that might be?"

"It would've been you if you weren't in love with Chloe Price," Kate shrugs. "But, now, no. I think I need to work on myself before I get into any relationship with someone. I was so ready to end it all when Jefferson and Nathan did the things they did. I was ready to be one with God, and not disappoint my parents ever again...but then...i'm not sure. Something told me that I shouldn't. Maybe it's the thought of my sisters, or Matthew 11:28, or thinking about the people I actually befriended...like you, Alyssa, and Stella, and I just...couldn't. I couldn't do it, and i'm so glad I didn't."

Max grabs Kate's hand, and holds it. "You're stronger than you know, Katie. I hope you know that."

Kate grins. "Thanks, Max." Max lets go and grabs another scone. "Hey, save some for me!"

"Not a chance."

* * *

Chloe checks her test scores for each of her subjects on Monday morning before she decides to start her literature course. The best thing about online classes is that she doesn't have to look at a teacher in the eye when they fold her test paper as they give it to her. At least if she failed a test, she can just check her scores. The other thing though is that after a test, she can get a snack instead of hearing her stupid ass classmates discuss whatever answers they put on the test, and then groaning when they realize it was wrong.

She opens her eyes, to see a letter she thought she would never see in her life ever again: A. It brings tears to her eyes. It feels so good to get an A again. "Fuck, why am I crying over a damn A?" She asks herself.

She wipes her eyes and checks her phone to see a text from Samantha, giving her pep words. Never did she think that she will ever befriend Samantha because back at school. Chloe didn't like the socially awkward front she had, but if it weren't for Samantha, she surely wouldn't be crying over an A. She'd probably be dead again...or just doing the same destructive behaviors she was doing before, like getting herself involved with drug dealers, fighting her mom and stepdad, and breaking curfew because she needs a smoke break and David isn't exactly pro-cannabis.

"Ok, Chloe, it's just an A. Let's just finish today's English lesson for fuck's sake and then text Max later." She pulls out her Antigone book and gets to work. She hates the book because it's complicated without translating, but she can get the message: sacrifice. Is that what Max had to do when she decided to save Chloe's life weeks ago? Surely Max didn't kill herself like Antigone did but she managed to make sure Rachel gets a proper burial and that Jefferson and Nathan get their justice. But, Max looks like she's seen some really bad things. She's seen a bunch of bullshit in the week that she detailed on to Chloe. Besides watching a girl kill herself, she had to see Arcadia Bay get these meteorological anomalies before an E6 tornado hits the place (which doesn't exist to Chloe's knowledge, plus they don't report what kind of tornado it is until after the storm has passed). Not only that, she had to dig up Rachel's insulting grave, watch Chloe die multiple times due to her stupidity and carelessness about her life, help David turn around to be a lowkey hero and Frank to make sure he delivers the link to their investigation to Rachel, and the one that scares Chloe the most because that is hella traumatizing — Max in the dark room.

If either Nathan or Jefferson got their hands on Max, they would've seen the wrath of Chloe Price. Sure, she has to use one of David's guns (which may work a lot better than the switchblade she picked up to intimidate Nathan) but whatever. Chloe would rather die than to let Jefferson use her the way he used a bunch of other girls, including Kate.

Chloe realizes that a couple tears are staining her book. She closes it shut and decides to leave English for another day. There's not much to do except trespass on Blackhell school grounds to see what Mikey and Warren are up to in their fantasy land of tabletop games, or go to see Steph at her house. She couldn't contact Drew because just like her, he's worried about getting some grades for class. Samantha still works at the hospital so that's another option.

Fuck it. Chloe heads downstairs, grabs her car keys, and goes to her car. She drives off to the hospital. Maybe she won't be on the clock, or at least not busy enough to talk. They haven't really seen each other since she was discharged. When she enters the hospital, she heads to the waiting room, and surprise, Samantha's already there. "Hey Samantha. You got time?"

"Hey Chloe. Actually I do. I was gonna head to the cafeteria because i'm hungry and they actually decided to give me a break, so come on."

Chloe follows Samantha to the lower level of the hospital. It's probably a slow day because it seems like both visitors and doctors alike are scarce. That's good. No freak tornadoes here, thanks to Max's time traveling powers. Chloe looks for an empty spot to sit at while Samantha gets something to eat. Chloe isn't really that hungry anyway. "So, what's going on?" Samantha inquires after sitting down across from Chloe, with a tray of some of the most appetizing hospital food she's ever seen. Yet, they serve their patients slop?

"I took your advice and started going back to school. It's online school, but it's a lot better than going to Blackwell."

"That's great! I mean, if I had the option as well, I would've done online school too. Blackwell is its own layer of hell so I totally get it." Samantha offers half of her sandwich to Chloe, but she shakes her head no. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Not really hungry anyway," Chloe answers, honestly. "I think the opportunity to get a second chance at this made me realize that...yeah, I have endured a lot of trauma and heartbreak, but it shouldn't be the end of the world for me. I really needed that talk we had when I was at the hospital."

"I'm glad," Samantha smiles a little.

"And I took my first test in three years and I actually aced it. I completely forgot how it feels to get an A. It used to be a no brainer before my dad died, but now...it feels like an accomplishment. It seems so stupid but…"

"It's not stupid. Chloe, you can feel accomplished even for the little things in life. You're allowed to. Anyone who says otherwise is lying."

Chloe nods. "I used to not give a shit about things like that, because hell, what's the point? I was gonna die one day and it can happen at any moment. I was eventually waiting for the inevitable, but then my best friend…well, my kinda best friend saved me. It's complicated."

"How complicated?"

"We went on a date on Saturday and it was so fucking nice but i'm not sure if she's my girlfriend or not complicated."

Samantha chuckles. "Maybe you two don't need a label right now. It was the first date and maybe you two should take it slow? I don't know. I'm straight, so my relationship advice is shit."

"You're right, it is shit." Both girls start laughing, which makes Chloe feel a lot better than before. "But, at least you tried. The difference between Rachel and Max is that I've known Max since I was young. We've been friends for many years before she moved to Seattle five years back. Our bond was a force to be reckoned with. Rachel however, we meet at one concert and suddenly we're fire and ice. We're doing a bunch of shit together, like going to concerts, listening to indie music, driving around town and getting tattoos on the same day...but we rushed into something that could've been if we took the time to do it. I will always love Rachel and will always believe that our relationship was a very enlightening, passionate, and wonderful one in my life, but I always believed she wanted to take a different path. There's a lot of things I didn't know about Rachel and when I found out what they are, it broke my heart, but I can't do shit because she's dead and I don't think I would've done much if she were alive. And of course, there's Max, who comes back in my life and boom, it's like we're best friends again...only we're not because we're older and we're no longer making excuses as to why we feel butterflies inside us whenever we see or call or text each other."

"All I can say is, you know how you feel, Chloe. I can't tell you how you feel, but what I can see is that you really love Max and she seems to love you, even though I don't know her."

Chloe smiles. "I'll introduce you one day. She's already met Steph, Drew, and Mikey so she has to meet you."

"Ok, whatever you want," Samantha smiles back.

They talk for a while until Samantha has to go back to work. Chloe heads back home, her head cleared and a little more determined to finish her literature lesson, and also get some geometry in if she feels like it. Good thing about online school again, is that the lessons aren't everyday so it isn't as tedious and boring. She ignores the tears on the page that she's supposed to read for Antigone — she just had to cry when Creon finds out about Antigone's suicide — and finishes her lesson in about an hour.

* * *

Max lays her head on her pillow after a long day. Staring at her photography teacher has reduced ever since Saturday, so now she is able to take notes for class, for a test in a few days. Her other classes are coming along as well, but now she's in bed and homework has to wait because she's tired and she wants to text Chloe for a few minutes, or hours.

She unlocks her phone and stares at Chloe's contact. How the fuck is she supposed to start this conversation? Does she type a 'hey' or a 'heyyyyy' with extra y's for effort? Does she call Chloe a pet name? No. Max hates pet names. They seem so...lame and unlike her. She can't bring herself to do it. Chloe can probably call her a pet name. But, what does she do? This is just like the time when she wanted to text Chloe for three years and she couldn't even fucking do it. It's why Chloe was so mad at her when she woke up. In the other timeline, Chloe was mad but she ignored that and gave Max her dad's camera and encouraged her to dance a little in her room. That was a weird day and it seems so fucking long ago.

Speaking of that camera, will Chloe ever give her that camera in this timeline? Her camera isn't busted (thank fucking dog), but William's camera was a lot more modern looking and captured pictures a lot clearer than her weird ass dinosaur of a camera.

When Max opens to compose a message, a notification appears.

Chloe: 'sup hippie? I gotta surprise 4 u. meet me the blackhell parkin lot

Max grins, puts her canvas shoes back on, and makes a beeline towards the parking lot. It takes her way quicker than usual to get to the parking lot and see Chloe's truck parked righting front of her, and Chloe standing there. The weather may be cold, but Chloe will still wear that leather jacket like it's nobody's business. It's probably really warm in there. It's leather, right? It beats Max's sherpa hoodie though.

"I texted you like a minute ago," Chloe points out. "Did you run here or something?"

"Yeah, and i'm just really happy to see you," Max replies. She isn't sure on whether to kiss Chloe right then and there, but Chloe's already looking for something inside her truck so she doesn't get the chance.

Chloe reappears again, with William's camera. The same item she thought about a few minutes ago. "You mentioned that I gave you my dad's camera because your other one was busted after some skirmish with Nathan in this very parking lot, so I went digging and well...I surely don't use this hunkajunk. You're the photographer...plus, this is kinda like a late birthday slash early Christmas slash thanks for saving my life you darn hippie gift."

Max takes the camera away from Chloe, and fuck, it feels so good to hold this camera again. "Thank you, Chloe. This is...surprising, to say the least."

"You're welcome."

Max looks at the camera, and then back at Chloe. She holds it with one hand, steps closer, reach on her toes, and kisses Chloe, for only a short time. She tastes cigarettes and oranges, making Max instantly giggle after kissing her. "You have orange breath."

"Way to tell your girlfriend that she has orange breath," Chloe groans.

"At least it wasn't onion breath—wait." Max blinks, staring at Chloe. "Did you just call me your girlfriend?"

"It slipped, didn't it?"

"Uh, yeah?" Max puts a hand on her hip and tilts her head to the side, smirking. "So what, Chloe? You want me to be your girlfriend so bad?"

"That was supposed to be my line," Chloe replies, her face getting even more red, if that was possible. "But, yeah, I wanna be your girlfriend. Unless you don't want to. No pressure, Caulfield."

"No, no, I definitely want to be your girlfriend," Max grins, hoping that would make it clear to Chloe. "We've known each other long enough to not take it slow. Let's do this."

"That's my girl."

* * *

Surely after that conversation, Max takes a bunch of photos of Chloe and it feels so weird, but so nice. Chloe never understood why Rachel liked modeling so much, but now that Max is taking pictures of her doing stupid shit at the parking lot, it feels good. Max kicks her feet up on Chloe's lap when they sit on the trunk of Chloe's truck, watching the sun go down and occasionally making out and talking. It's not so cold, until Chloe goes home and Max is heading back to her dorm. Jeez, it really is cold. She hasn't even started her homework either. She spent the entire time playing with William's camera, something she missed so fucking much.

When she enters her room, she finds her old camera. Who would appreciate a dinosaur like this? Max got this for her thirteenth birthday, around the time she moved to Seattle and her parents wanted to cheer her up after her move. She's been through a lot with this camera, but they were the best moments in her life.

And now, she's gonna appreciate William's camera. It's the utmost thing she can do after his untimely death five years ago.

She opens up her textbooks and gets started on her homework until the sun stops shining and a full moon appears. Max is happy it isn't a double moon, like that Thursday of the end of the world party. That party was more foreshadowing than fun, because had Max chose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay, it would be their last party...ever. No one would live after that tornado, even if they're in the deep basement of Blackwell or at the hospital bunker. It didn't seem possible. However, that's something that will never happen. Arcadia Bay hasn't had a tornado, let alone a severe one, in almost two decades.

She packs up her complete homework inside her bag, and closes all of her textbooks, hoping to get some sleep for tomorrow. Next week, she'll have a four day weekend and it could be spent going back to Seattle, but Chloe is here, as well as Kate and Victoria and Warren, as well as Steph and Mikey. Back at Seattle, she really has her parents. She hasn't talked to either Kristen or Fernando in months, and they've probably moved on without her, considering they usually have to force her to socialize. They didn't even wish her a happy birthday, which doesn't surprise her but she also doesn't care. They probably forgot, now that she isn't around to remind them every time it comes around.

Maybe she can convince her parents to come here? Probably not. She knows her mother Vanessa dislikes Arcadia Bay, especially after finding out about the mess with the shipyard business and the development of some homes where the Overlook Park used to be. However, the Prescotts been lost their hold they had over Arcadia Bay, especially after finding out their son is a girl killing psychopath.

When she wakes up, all she hears is a soft knock on the door. Max furrows her eyebrows — nobody, not even Kate (their tea time is always on a weekend), knocks on her door on a weekday. However, she pushes herself to open the door to see a flash of blond walk right in, still in pajamas and sit on her bed. "Vic?"

"Nathan's dad called me an hour ago to tell me that Nathan killed himself in his sleep inside his prison cell," Victoria sighs out. "I want to not care, but before all of this he was my friend. Hearing about his suicide it...I would've been seriously messed up if he didn't do what he did but now...i'm conflicted. Am I supposed to give a shit or wait for the funeral to spit on his grave?"

Max doesn't know what to say either. She would definitely go with the second option, but Victoria seems generally conflicted about this and she doesn't want to seem insensitive. "Did he tell you anything else? Nathan's dad, I mean."

"Funeral services are on this coming Sunday," Victoria answers. "I can't go if the only thing i'm just gonna be reminded of is that I was friends with a psychopathic coward."

"Then don't go," Max advises. She wouldn't go either if she had a choice. "You said it yourself. You regret ever being friends with him. Why go to a funeral to remember someone who you despise especially after finding out he killed Rachel and maimed Chloe?"

"Remember when I said visiting your rivals has an appeal to it?"

Max frowns. "This doesn't apply here, Victoria. You know that. You and Chloe were adolescent rivals and with time, maybe, you two will understand that what happened in the past is gonna stay in the past and eventually become friends if both of you will grow the fuck up. Nathan was an asshole who killed Rachel and almost killed my girlfriend."

Victoria casts her eyes down. Max probably believes that Victoria didn't catch that last bit. "You're right. I'm not gonna go. Maybe I should go after the funeral and spit on his grave huh?"

Max grins. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. Might be a bonding moment you and Chloe though."

"We gotta learn to coexist since she's your girl now, huh?"

Max groans a little. "Shit. I thought you didn't catch that."

"Really, Maxine? You didn't think I wouldn't hear you claim Chloe as your girlfriend?" Victoria shakes her head and laughs. "Honestly, I saw it coming from a mile away. Gotta say i'm glad you finally grew a pair."

Max frowns, and pushes Victoria a little. "Whatever, loser."

"No, seriously, Max. I'm happy that you're happy. While I don't like Chloe and wish you'd pick someone better…"

"Victoria," Max warns.

"...I support your decision and I will at least try to keep the insults at Chloe to a minimum, like I've already been doing."

"And maybe you two can talk it out?"

Victoria raises an eyebrow. "Don't push it."


	7. Chapter 7

The news about Nathan doesn't surprise the entire school. Of course, Max isn't pleased that it reached the news, but to hear that a small number of students care about it is kind of surprising. Max keeps minding her own business and manages to get through the week without addressing Nathan's suicide to anybody, not even Victoria who isn't pleased either with how it reached the news.

It doesn't surprise Max that no one even attends the funeral, not even the Vortex Club snobs. She doesn't really talk to any of them because even though they aren't at their former friend's funeral, that still doesn't mean that Max is ok with some of them. She could talk to Dana or Juliet but everyone else...she can't see herself talking to them. She didn't even talk to them in the other timeline. She just wanted to know more about Rachel and about the Vortex Club, which didn't really help much.

Aside from that, it's a quiet Sunday. Max wants to hang out with Kate for some tea time, so she opens the door, helping Kate with handling the tea bags, electric kettle, and the same scones she brought the last time, only doubled in quantity. "You brought the juice."

"I know how much you loved them so I got some more," Kate replies.

They sit by the couch and get started with boiling the water and assembling everything else together. "This entire thing with Nathan really had me on edge all week, even though you didn't see it," Kate starts off, surprising Max a little. "I remember when the thing happened with the Dark Room and I wanted to end it all, and was probably ready to if something even worse happened to me. It was really hard to get through it, but then I prayed, and i had a really long talk with the psychologist."

"You're ok now?"

"Still dealing with it, but i'm fine now."

Kate stops herself when there's a knock on the door. Raising an eyebrow, Max goes to open the door, revealing her girlfriend Chloe which surprises the hell out of her, because she's completely unaware that Chloe knew of her dorm number. "Chloe?"

"You surprised to see me?" Chloe smirks, kissing Max on the cheek.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Well, deal with it, Caulfield," Chloe says. "So, you gonna invite me in or are you busy?"

Max glances at Kate, who only smiles and beckons both girls inside. "Come on in." Max moves over to the side and let's Chloe walk inside.

Chloe checks the place out for a little while. "Your room is as hipster as you, Max."

Max glances at Kate, who tries to hold in her laughter by taking a sip of her tea. "Chloe, have you met my friend Kate?"

Chloe turns right around, facing Max and Kate. "No, you haven't introduced me until now." She extends her hand towards Kate. "Hi Kate. I'm Chloe."

"Nice to meet you Chloe," Kate smiles, shaking Chloe's hand. "Would you like some tea?"

"I'm not a big tea person, but I'll join you two," Chloe agrees. She sits right on Max's spot and takes a scone from the tray. "Oh my dog, this is so good. Who made this?"

"The bakery chef made it. I just bought it," Kate answers. "Max loved them the last time I got them so I decided to get more of them so she won't keep eating them and leaving none for me."

"It's so good though," Max defends. She pulls out her desk chair and sits right in front of the table, grabbing her tea cup. "You can't just eat one."

"Yeah but I would like one for myself," Kate defends back.

Chloe laughs a little at Max and Kate's exchange. It seems a lot more natural than she expected, but maybe that's just Max being the lowkey conversationalist. Of course, nothing really changes because Chloe is in here. Kate talks about her issues with the suicide news roaming around Arcadia Bay, and Max offers what she thinks about it. Chloe didn't expect much because she always expected Nathan to do something even more dramatic than shooting her inside the Blackwell girls' bathroom.

"I just thought it was cowardly," Chloe chimes in. "It doesn't surprise me that he killed himself. He probably felt that was the only route to go to avoid being sentenced for the rest of his life."

"I think so too," Max agrees. "I kinda expected it from Jefferson, but Nathan doing it isn't surprising either."

"I'll just say that Nathan was a very troubled boy who needed help desperately, and what he did to you and Rachel are unforgivable. Those crimes should never be forgivable to anyone, not even a forgiving person like myself."

Chloe nods. "You have a good head on your shoulders, Kate."

"Why, thank you Chloe."

Once tea time finishes, Kate leaves the rest of the pastries for Max to enjoy, and leaves both of them alone. Max grins at Chloe, and gives her a hug. "I'm so happy you can get along with one of my friends."

"You're a dork, Caulfield."

Max hears the door open again, and Victoria walks in. "Hey, Gayfield, Do you have Friday's notes—shit, did I interrupt something?"

"Yeah, you did, bitch," Chloe retorts.

"I have no time for your shit, Chloe," Victoria sighs. She eyes the pastries and takes one. "Ooh, cran-walnut!"

"You did not interrupt anything," Max assures her. She rolls her eyes a little at Victoria taking the scones Kate left for her, but she isn't going to stop her. "I actually do have the notes. Hold on." Max gets up from Chloe's lap and searches for her notes. Chloe glares at Victoria, who stares at her back and gives her nasty looks.

"Fuck, I missed these so much," Victoria mumbles. "One of these days, I gotta visit the Bean Hip cafe again."

"Kate got them for me," Max replies, and gives Victoria the notes.

Victoria cringes a little. Max knows that Victoria and Kate aren't fans of each other, and even after Chloe getting shot at the bathroom and Victoria deleting the video of Kate kissing a bunch of guys, Victoria still doesn't like Kate. She has left Kate alone since then, though. "You can take another one if you want."

"Can I take the whole plate?"

"No, you may not!" Max chuckles.

"Fine." Victoria takes another one and takes the notes away from Max. "Thanks babe. I'll return it to you tonight."

"Love you too, Leztoria."

"Ta-ta, Kari Price!" Victoria calls out, and closes the door before Chloe gets a word in.

Chloe glares at Max. "I hate her, Max!"

"Too bad, Kari Price."

* * *

"Maxine," Vanessa says sternly, making Max cringe upon hearing her mother call her Maxine instead of Max. It makes her feel like she's in trouble or something. "We can't just drop everything to drive all the way to Arcadia Bay."

"Mom, please," Max implores. She really wants her parents to stay at least a weekend at Arcadia Bay. They haven't been back since they moved out, mostly because Vanessa hated Arcadia Bay and Ryan has to comply to his wife. Max just wants her parents here so she can reintroduce Chloe to them as her girlfriend. "I recently reconnected with Chloe again and her mom's remarried. Plus, Arcadia Bay hasn't changed much."

"That's what i'm scared of. Arcadia Bay hasn't changed," Vanessa replies. "I never liked it, Max. You know that."

"Mom, at least—"

"My choice is final, Max. You are coming here and that's it. We'll send you the money to pay for your ticket."

Max sighs and disconnects the video call. She wants her parents to come here instead. It would've been easier. Not only does Max get to announce her relationship with Chloe, they can reconnect with Joyce especially after the move. Things can be the way it used to be, but it seems like her mother is having none of it. She should've talked to her dad first. He'll try to convince Vanessa to come through. Now, Vanessa's mind is made up and Max can't call Ryan.

Max opens the website so she can book a flight and to get the cheapest and the spur of the moment tickets, since she has to leave by Wednesday. She'd ask Chloe, but she doesn't want to exacerbate Chloe's flesh wound, which has healed but not completely, nor does she want Chloe to travel miles upon miles to her parents' place if she wasn't hurt.

Before she purchases it, she gets another video call from her dad. "Hi, dad."

"What's this about you asking your mom about coming back to Arcadia Bay?"

Max exhales deeply. "I wanted you two to come here for Thanksgiving, but mom wasn't exactly thrilled on coming back here. You haven't been here in five years and it's still as pretty as you guys remembered it."

"I don't know...I might not be able to convince your mom but i'm gonna try. Don't buy your ticket until I say so, you hear me?"

Max grins a little. "Thanks, dad."

"Goodnight, Maxie-bear."

"Dad," Max groans. She ends the video call and sighs happily. She really hopes this time, Vanessa can convince her to stay put and they'll be here by Thursday.

* * *

Chloe finishes her last subject of the day and shuts her computer off. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but she doesn't really care for holidays other than Halloween. She used to love Christmas until her dad died, she used to love her birthday until a disastrous one with David, and she used to love New Year's until Rachel died. She's over it before it even started.

However, she's willing to spend time with her mother, and a little part of her is willing to spend time with David. It will be their first holiday where they turn over a new leaf as opposed to fighting all the fucking time. She cannot bring herself to love or like David, but this whole civil thing is working out to her favor. They still can't hold conversations though.

Chloe gets up and goes to the mirror to look at her shot wound. It's healed but Chloe still feels occasional twinges, especially if she sits for too long, so online school was definitely the best option for her. Knowing that she cannot take long road trips without feeling twinges every now and then scares her but the doctors say that the bullet is very less likely to migrate...and if it does, it will not kill her.

Why can't it migrate out of her body though?

She takes a shower and puts on a fresh set of clothes, heading downstairs. It's the afternoon, so she definitely has time to go to Blackwell and see what's going on with everyone else.

She heads to her truck and drives to the school, where most of the students are already hanging out, either done with classes or waiting for another one. No matter how cold it gets, Chloe will never understand how these students can just sit out there with little care in the world. The wind is blowing extra hard and it's chilly, so no one should be outside like that.

She steps out of her car and goes to the front, where she sees Mikey playing a game with Steph and Warren. "What's going on, nerds?"

"Chloe!" all of them greet in unison.

"So, none of you care about the cold?" Chloe inquires, and sits right next to Steph.

Warren shakes his head. "Nope. We're pretty warmed up."

"You two are," Steph points out.

Chloe raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Did I miss something?"

"Mikey's got a boyfriend," Steph sing-songs. "And he's sitting right next to him."

"About fucking time," Chloe says, smirking and wagging her eyebrows at Mikey. "Shit, I must have missed a lot if Mikey finally admitted he liked Warren."

"We've been dating since the beginning of October. You were in a coma and the last time we saw each other, you were with Max at the Halloween party, wearing matching pirate outfits."

Chloe smiles to herself. "Yeaaaaaah, that was fun."

Mikey's about to say something but then his phone makes a short sound. "Hold on." Chloe turns her attention towards Steph while Mikey checks his phone. "What's up with you?" Chloe asks.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Steph retorts.

Chloe shrugs. "Well, Max and I are kinda a thing…"

Steph punches Chloe on the arm. "Dude, why didn't you tell me this sooner? Why do you like to not tell me things?"

"I'm sorry!" Chloe exclaims, rubbing her arm where Steph punched her. "It happened recently."

"Uh huh," Steph hums in disapproval.

Chloe laughs and turns back to her other friends. "Who you texting?"

"Probably Victoria, since now they're gaming buddies," Steph smirks.

Mikey glares at Warren. "It was Drew, and it's not like you don't join in on the fun."

"Gotta say, Chase knows her stuff," Steph shrugs.

Chloe groans. Everyone seems to be friends with that bitch but her. "Is everyone best friends with the Queen Bitch of Blackhell?"

"Aside from her blatant bitchiness, she's pretty chill," Mikey shrugs. "Now, come on, let's finish this game."

* * *

Chloe wakes up at a few minutes after noon to different arrays of smells. It's now Thanksgiving and she hasn't talked to Max since Tuesday when she told her that she might be going to Seattle for the holidays. It's ok. Chloe is pretty chill about spending time with her mom, and on a lesser note, her stepdad. They have never had a family oriented holiday where they were civil, so this might be the one, if he manages to keep his cool.

She decides to go straight downstairs, where her mom is cooking up a storm and David is helping her as much as he can. David was never a cook — Chloe knew that the minute he tried to make instant potatoes last year and ended up burning them on the pot — but if her mom asked Chloe to help, she would eat everything on sight. "Good morning mom and David."

"Good afternoon honey," Joyce clarifies, kissing her daughter on the cheek. "You wanna help me get some supplies at the supermarket?"

Chloe glances at David. "You have David."

"He's helping me cook," Joyce frowns. "Come on. Go get dressed and get me some more butter, cheese, and flour."

Chloe sighs, relenting. "Fine. But can I eat something first?"

After eating a bowl of cereal, Chloe gets dressed and head out with a short list of stuff to get from the supermarket. She picks them up with ease, and heads home when she notices another car on the side of the road in front of her house. Raising an eyebrow, she takes the other available spot, exits the car with the stuff, and goes inside. Chloe opens the door, and is immediately welcomed by Max standing right in front of her.

"Max!" Chloe exclaims, dropping her bag on the floor, and hugging her girlfriend in shock.

"Hey, Chloe," Max says, laughing on Chloe's shoulder.

Chloe didn't want to let go of Max, but she knows that the flour probably busted open when she dropped it. Nonetheless, she doesn't let go. David peers from the kitchen and rolls his eyes in amusement. "Could you at least bring the items in the kitchen before you two reunite?"

"No," Chloe replies.

David grabs the bags, checking them. "Luckily the flour is fine. Carry on."

When David leaves, Chloe couldn't stop laughing. "Fuck. I'm so glad you're here."

"My dad convinced my mom to let me stay," Max tells her. Chloe let's go of her. "My mom isn't thrilled, but she has to deal with it. I have to be at Seattle for Christmas though." Max grabs Chloe's hand and drags her to the dining room, where both of Max's parents are sitting there, looking at an old photo book that Chloe instantly recognized. "Mom? Dad? Chloe's here."

Chloe is more than surprised to see Max's parents here. It's been five years since she's seen any of them, the last time it was when they moved to Seattle and never came back. Chloe thought Max convinced them that she can stay here but it seems like they came here too, but that's even better because it gives everyone a chance to know of her relationship upgrade with Max.

"Chloe!" Both Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield walk over to Chloe and each give her a hug.

"Hey guys," Chloe smiles, hugging them back. Yeah, she really missed these two. "How's Seattle been treating your for the past half decade?"

"Good, actually," Vanessa answers. "And you? How are you doing?"

Chloe isn't sure if Max told them about her accident last month, or what she's been up to (like getting expelled from school, her hi-jinks with Rachel, her troubles with the law) but she leaves that out. "Pretty good, recently."

"Max mentioned you were in an accident last month."

"Oh, well, it was just a flesh wound...but I can't sit for prolonged periods at a time or I start feeling an uncomfortable twinge on my side. Enough about that, tell me everything about Seattle."

After that, both Chloe and Max's parents go into a natural conversation about Seattle, reminding Chloe how easy it was to talk to the Caulfields, each and every one of them. Vanessa has hardened a little, but Ryan is often there to make it not reach a level of awkward. Occasionally, Chloe would glance at Max who would simply smile back.

"There was this one time where we got a call from Kristen's parents because Max and her friends had gotten drunk at the Fremont Troll," Vanessa mentions out loud, which piques Chloe's interest. Not that she wasn't interested in the other conversation topics but she never thought about Max getting drunk, let alone drinking a sip of red wine after their accident many years ago.

"Mom," Max groans.

"Oh, did she?" Chloe raises an eyebrow.

"She threw up at one of our bushes and could barely walk. When she woke up the next morning, she swore up and down she will never drink again."

Chloe snorts a little. Her first encounter with getting drunk was a lot more messier and she managed to ride it out at school with minimal infractions, mostly because she was invisible back at Blackwell. "Enough about my embarrassing stories."

"I think it's cute that you got drunk with your friends at a national landmark," Chloe teases.

Max glares at Chloe. "Shut up."

Once dinner finishes, Chloe sits right next to Max. Chloe's mom and stepdad sit at Chloe's left while Max's parents sit at Max's right, and they start eating almost immediately. It isn't a huge feat but it's enough to feed the six of them. "Joyce, I missed your cooking," Ryan compliments.

"I had a little help." Joyce nudges David, who smiles and looks at his wife.

Chloe purses her lips, still weirded out about her parents' public displays of affection, but at least she isn't groaning or snarling. "How did you two meet?" Vanessa inquires.

"He was one of my customers. It was almost like love at first sight," Joyce recounts, blushing a little.

"She said I was one of the best customers she ever had, which I find hard to believe because she's such a kindhearted woman," David adds in. Chloe glances at Max, who gestures two fingers down her throat playfully. She smirks, and looks at her empty plate. "It wasn't long after we started dating, and we were already making plans to add me into the family."

"It wasn't an easy transition for any of us, but we salvaged."

"It sure wasn't easy," Chloe mutters. Joyce gives her daughter an appointed glare. "Ahem. I mean, I gave the hardass a hard time but we eventually decided to put water under the bridge. That's what I meant mom."

Vanessa nods in half agreement and half understanding. "Changes to any family is never easy, especially if it's sudden. But, i'm glad that it worked out in the end. Seems like things haven't changed since we last left, and i'm glad...aside from Chloe's wild hair and the extra addition."

"The hair gives the house flair," Chloe jokes. She smirks even harder when she hears chuckles from everyone at the table. "Glad we all agree."

Max rolls her eyes. "It matches your carpet in the hallway."

"Shut up, Max," Chloe mutters.

"You know, I was kind of worried about Chloe ever forgiving Max since they kinda fell out after the move," Joyce admits. "They used to be so close as kids and I thought it would never happen again, but now, they're closer than ever."

You have no idea, Chloe thinks.

"Don't get me wrong, she has friends...one in particular was a special one." Chloe isn't sure if her mom mentioning Rachel as a special friend, when she knew the nature of their relationship, is a good move but she isn't gonna stop her. Her mom wasn't the huge Rachel fan, and neither was David, especially with the drug accusations between him, Rachel, and Nathan all of last year. "But what she had with Max is special."

"It will always be special, mom," Chloe smiles, holding Max's hand under the table. "It's even more than special."

"I know, honey," Joyce smiles.

Chloe glances at Max's parents, who don't seem weirded out that she just outed the both of them. "So that's why Max wanted to stay at Arcadia Bay...to stay with her bae."

Max puts a hand over her face in embarrassment, while everyone else breaks out in laughter. "Dad!"

* * *

After dinner and dessert, Max pulls Chloe to the backyard, where their swing set still stands. It is a little more fragile after being used a couple years with Rachel, but they can salvage it for a few extra minutes. Chloe stares at the starry sky while Max sits on the swing set, swinging idly, praying that it won't break. It's a very comfortable silence, neither of them needing to talk about anything, which is what Chloe missed about being friends (or girlfriends) with Max. She used to enjoy it with Rachel but then minutes will pass and Rachel would start talking again. Max on the other hand, doesn't.

She's really glad Max came into her life again. They deserved a better encounter than to be shot in a bathroom and then fighting for your life while having coma dreams, but Chloe wouldn't take it back, for some odd reason. Had she not been hospitalized, she would probably still be bumming around inside her house, without much of a job or any plans for the future.

Chloe would also admit she hasn't had this much action since that weekend with Rachel. The first day, they skip school and find out about James and Sera under the tree, then burning a huge chunk of the forest in the process. The next day, Chloe gets expelled and then participates in a play...only for it to come crashing down when she finds out that Sera is Rachel's biological mom. That following day, Rachel gets stabbed and Sera almost dies...and Chloe tells the truth to Rachel instead of keeping it from her. Rachel deserved that much instead of never ever knowing that her father is a piece of shit.

Within that week, Chloe only remembers getting shot by Nathan after being drugged and photographed, and she wanted to present that to Nathan so she can get some money off him. However, that went horribly wrong as she realized that going to Nathan's parents would've been the better, and possibly the less life threatening solution. However, what happens, happens. She is willing to accept that she has a bullet dislodged in her body, and that Max saved her life in order for it to happen.

Now that both of their parents know the nature of their relationship, Chloe is nothing but confident that nothing will ever tear them apart. Not a storm, not moving away, and definitely not anyone else.

"What you thinking about?" Max questions.

Chloe shakes her head. "Just kinda glad that things went the way they did. No pressure."

Max rolls her eyes. "Dork."

Chloe smirks and pulls Max closer to her. "Love you too, loser."


	8. Chapter 8

Chloe opens her eyes expecting Max to be sleeping right next to her. However, the side of the bed is empty. She probably hypothesizes that Max is either helping her mom make breakfast or is in the bathroom. With a content sigh, she sits up, only to be surprised when she sees Rachel sitting on her desk chair, reading Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with an intrigued look.

"What?"

"Oh, Chloe, you're up!" Rachel grins, and closes her book without marking it. "I was wondering when you were gonna wake up."

Chloe hasn't had a Rachel dream in so long, not even when she found out about Rachel's questionable fidelity via Max. She thought Rachel dreams wouldn't be as prevalent anymore, because they already discussed what they needed to discuss, much like when she stopped getting dad dreams after the shitty weekend from when she met Rachel. "What are you doing here?"

"You tell me, Price. This is your subconscious after all," Rachel remarks.

Chloe growls. "Why didn't you tell me about Jefferson and Frank?"

Rachel shrugs a little, biting her lip. "It was irrelevant, Chloe—"

Chloe snorts. " _Irrelevant?_ You 'hooked up' with both of them for months, probably for a whole ass year, and you want to tell me it's _irrelevant?_ Are you telling me what I want to hear or are you genuine in what the fuck you're telling me?"

Rachel casts her eyes down. "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you."

"Because you think I would shame you? Rachel, you were _barely_ legal when you let those disgusting men touch you in ways that someone else, your age, is supposed to!"

"I wanted it!" Rachel shouts.

"I don't give a fuck!" Chloe shouts back.

"Don't try to victimize me over something you knew nothing about until Maxine Caulfield told you!" Rachel spits out. "You don't know what happened, and as far as i'm concerned, you will never know, because i'm dead."

Chloe clenches her fists. Hearing her ex-girlfriend spit out her girlfriend's name like that gets under her skin, no matter if this is a dream sequence or not. "You were gonna leave me here in Arcadia Hell by myself and take off with Jeffershit or whoever you trusted more than me."

"Oh my god, here we go. This is _exactly_ why I was gonna leave you here," Rachel exclaims. "This is not about you. I wanted to leave Arcadia, but you kept clinging to this fucking place. You kept telling me about plans and I wanted to go already. I couldn't be around you while you kept going on and on about your bullshit, and I was already getting in trouble with the school, so it didn't matter. My diploma meant nothing if that means getting away from Arcadia."

"Clinging? I hate Arcadia Bay way more than you do!" Chloe growls. "I wanted to leave _so_ bad but you had no plan backing you up which is why I kept us here. What if we didn't make it to Portland, let alone Los Angeles? My car is a piece of shit, Rachel! We have no place to stay, no money — shit, I still owe money to Frank to repair a piece of shit. We have nothing but shitty teen rebellion and shitty family situations!"

"We would've made it happen, Chloe! We¡re not idiots! But...I was still here, selling and using drugs, associating myself with dirty Vortex Club dealings, avoiding your shit of a stepfather trying to rat me out... _everything!_ If we have left back in 2010, I wouldn't have died!"

"Fine," Chloe sighs, giving up on trying to reason with Rachel. This isn't real after all. "Do what you want. At least I know that your death, your mistakes, and your secrets will always affect me but I'm willing to rise above it."

"All I ever wanted is for you to have a better life, Chloe, which is why I didn't tell you," Rachel replies. "After my parents' lies and Sera's death and everything else...I needed an escape. I realized I wanted you to be better than me because despite having a shit for a stepfather, you have a better chance of being a better person than me."

"That doesn't mean you should receive a shallow ass grave in a dusty junkyard," Chloe frowns.

Rachel can only shrug. "Maybe I did. Goodbye, Chloe." She gets up and leaves Chloe's room.

Chloe wakes up for real, and sighs happily when Max is sleeping right next to her like she expected. It's been a while since they slept on the same bed, but it doesn't feel foreign to Chloe. It feels like home, like things are supposed to work that way. She enjoyed her cuddling times with Rachel in the past, but something about snuggling next to Max is a lot better in comparison.

Max's eyes slowly open, and Chloe just stares right at her. "Top of the mornin' to ya, Max."

"And a good morning to you too, cap'n," Max replies. "You sleep ok?"

"You can say that," Chloe says. Aside from the Rachel dream, Chloe gets her adequate six hours of sleep. "What about you?"

"Definitely, like a log," Max answers. "What's for breakfast?"

"Don't look at me unless you want the house burnt down." Chloe can barely boil water, let alone fry an egg and a couple strips of bacon for herself. She never really learned to be self-sufficient, especially with her former volatile relationship with her parents. David can probably cook better than her by now, and that's not saying much because he can't cook for shit. However he isn't as traditional because he tries. "I think my mom might be serving up some pancakes by now, considering it's almost 9."

"Chloe! Max! Breakfast is ready!"

Chloe gives Max an appointed look. "See?"

Max rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Come on."

Both girls head downstairs to the dining room, where Joyce is setting two extra plates on the table. David is reading the paper with a cup of coffee in his hand. Chloe would comment on how this looks so domestic and nuclear but Max beats her to the punch. "This is such a nuclear family photo op."

"Photo nerd," Chloe chides, smirking.

"Be nice," Joyce says half-sternly. "You know you can take pictures anytime around us, Max. Just tell us first."

"Speak for yourself," David frowns, putting his newspaper down to pick up his fork and knife. "I'll end up breaking your camera if you even try."

Chloe snorts. "Well, you're not wrong about that."

David glares at Chloe. Chloe picks her head up, sticks her tongue out, and continues to eat her breakfast. She still can't believe she's...trying to have a relationship with David even after the abuse, the biting words, the arguments, and the turmoil. She always knew deep down that if she actually tried, she wouldn't see David as a huge problem. Chloe still has that picture from when David gave it to her as a peace offering...and while it didn't last long, it meant that even if they are different, they are the same. She should get that picture out of her glove compartment soon.

* * *

When school starts again, Max finds herself a little more busy than usual. After the immense essays she's been getting from her English class, she has another photography project by Mrs. Matthews due before Christmas break, and that's very very soon. The holiday season already started once Thanksgiving ended. Most of the students decorate their dorm slates with Christmas paraphernalia. Kate draws a small Nativity scene on paper that hasn't been defaced or taken down (thank God), Dana draws a Santa hat, Taylor and Alyssa have similar versions of Santa himself, Brooke only has some Christmas lights around her room, Juliet hands out mini candy canes to everyone (except Victoria because aside from Taylor and Max, people still dislike her but Max gives her mini candy cane to Victoria anyway because Joyce handed out a bunch of bigger ones at the diner) and Victoria decorates a small school approved Christmas tree inside her room.

Max puts a small ornament on Lisa, who is still alive thankfully. She almost let Lisa die in the other timeline so this time, she isn't letting her plant get an ounce of neglect.

She gets a knock on the door. "Come in, Kate."

Kate walks right in with a plate of pastries and an electric kettle, with some styrofoam cups and some tea bags. "Hi Max." Things are a little silent as they set up, plugging the kettle by a free outlet. The kettle heats up a minute and a half later, so Kate gets the kettle and pours the both of them a cup of English Breakfast tea. "Did you think about what you want to do for Matthews' photography project?"

"Barely," Max replies with a groan. The project is to take two pictures of anything holiday themed, using any of the lighting techniques they've learned in class. Max hasn't really had anything set up for the holidays, and she's having photographer's block. "You have anything?"

"Me neither," Kate replies. "This is our first non-written photography project since Jefferson got locked up and...yet…"

"I know," Max agrees. "I have been taking pictures here and there, but I haven't done a really interesting photo. Maybe i'm in a block or something, or maybe Jeffershit getting locked up made me disenchanted from photography for a little while."

"Now that i'm thinking about it, I haven't done much either since either. But, I feel like this is just temporary, like we're gonna eventually get over it."

"I hope it is, because my grades are on the line," Max says back.

Kate scoffs. "Max, you're talented as hell. You'll be fine."

Max widens her eyes and smirks. "The innocent Kate Marsh cusses. I blame Chloe."

"Shut up!" Kate giggles. "You cannot blame your girlfriend for something so trivial, and so untrue! I barely even know her!"

"She's a worse sailor mouth than me, so yeah, I blame her."

Kate sighs. "You are something else, Max."

* * *

Snowfall in Arcadia Bay usually happens right after the winter solstice, precisely after, however global warming causes it to come earlier than expected. There's eight inches of white snow and after David throws out his back, Chloe finishes the job and takes him to the hospital so they can give him some physical therapy, telling him to rest, and some prescribed painkillers. Chloe doesn't have time to check on her friend because she's focused more on getting David in and out of this hellhole.

She has an appointment with the doctors soon to check on her wound, because despite it healing fully, she still gets those stupid twinges that are growing more annoying than uncomfortable. She can't even enjoy a road trip if she were able to take one with Max in the future. Plane trips are out of the question too, as well as office jobs or any job that requires her to sit down.

It takes two hours for David to be discharged. The snow already stopped and the roads are already semi-cleared so Chloe should have less trouble getting home than when she was going. She didn't take her own beat up car because it would definitely break down amidst all this snow, so she takes David's keys. Luckily they trust each other more than they did in September.

Things are quiet until they get back to the house. Chloe waits a full minute until she reaches for the door handle.

"Chloe."

Sighing a little, she turns to David. "Yeah?"

"Thank you," he says simply.

Chloe shrugs. "Don't mention it. Plus, other than you, I drive. Mom doesn't know the difference between the center console and a stick shift."

David cracks an amused smile. "Yeah."

"I know we don't really get along and we may never fully like each other, but I've come to respect you because you're the one person to make my mom happy again after William, my dad, died. I had that with Rachel, and even though she had her faults and kept all of her secrets inside until death, she was my rock."

"I know," David replies. "I may not like her but...she kept you busy, that was probably a good thing about her."

Chloe snorts, shedding a tear. "That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said about Rachel, posthumously. She's rolling in her grave right now." Both of them share a chuckle for a few seconds. "Anyway, I think we gotta go back before mom thinks we killed each other."

David rolls his eyes as Chloe exits the car. She helps David out the car and inside the house, placing him on the couch. Joyce comes almost immediately, elevating his foot and giving him a cup of tea. She pulls Chloe aside and gives her a warm, thankful smile. "I'm still kind of surprised you two settled your volatile relationship."

"Yeah, me too," Chloe replies. Never in a million years did she ever think she would ever coexist with David and even have a small heart to heart minutes ago. Part of it is because of her mom and another part is the level of concern he had for her when she woke up. "We even had a small conversation...maybe you didn't screw up marrying this step douche."

Joyce couldn't help but laugh. "Haven't heard of that name in years."

* * *

Chloe heads to the campus a day later, feeling bored inside her house. David may be on sick leave, but he has someone to watch over him for the rest of the week so he doesn't need her right now. Plus, she kinda misses Max. School's been brutal on both ends with Chloe's economics, algebra, and English courses becoming harder by the minute, and Max's project, which seems simple as hell but Max hasn't been able to take a decent picture in weeks.

Surprisingly, she doesn't see her old friends hanging by the bench. Everything is covered in snow. Chloe makes her way towards the Prescott Dorm, only to be hit with a snowball. "What the _fuck_?" She grumbles.

"Bull's eye!" Chloe hears Victoria's triumphant voice not too far from her.

"Vic!" Max groans. "That's my girlfriend you're attacking!"

"And? It's called the element of surprise, Maxine."

Chloe narrows her eyes. "Watch your mouth, Chase. You're not the only one who can throw a mean snowball."

"Oh? Is that a challenge, Kari Price?" Victoria inquires.

Chloe doesn't say anything else. As soon as she bends down and forms a snowball, she gets another one thrown at her face. Chloe shakes the snow from her face and throws one at Victoria, missing her by a fraction. "You bitch!"

Max laughs a little. "Damn, Chloe. You got showed out and the fight hasn't even started yet!"

Chloe growls. She continues to throw snowballs at Victoria, only getting her shoulders and arms while Chloe gets attacked with snow at the face and one hits her unaffected abdomen. She couldn't even stay mad because Max is enjoying watching the both of them attack each other, and as much as she hates Victoria, it's the first time she's seen the ice queen smile genuinely...ever.

Eventually Max joins in, taking Chloe's side which gives Chloe the ultimate upper hand at destroying Victoria in a snowball fight. Unlike Chloe, Max is able to throw hard enough to hit the blond, while Chloe catches her off guard each time.

They decide to call it quits half an hour later because both Chloe and Victoria are getting a runny nose from getting hit in the face too many times. Chloe follows Max inside the dorms and to her room, where she messages Kate to make them some tea to warm up.

"God, you can really throw a ball of wet ice huh?"

Victoria shrugs, sniffing. "It's not that hard. Plus you're an easy target...clearly."

Max snorts. "I gotta say that was the first time I've _ever_ seen you two get along."

"And then we go back to hating each other," Chloe smiles.

"You're ridiculous Chloe," Max frowns.

"I'm kidding. Maybe I can work something out with Chase, if she doesn't continue being a huge bitch."

"I'm the huge bitch?" Victoria stops herself suddenly, and shrugs. "Ok, yeah, I am a huge bitch. But, it's a work in progress, ok? I told you already that i'm trying to be a nicer bitch, remember?"

Chloe sighs, remembering that time at the hospital like it was yesterday. "Yeah, I gotta thank you for that. Had I not listen to you, I'd probably still be bitter about Max leaving me all those years ago."

Before Max even asks about what happened, Kate lets herself in, the door unlocked on purpose for a reason. She carries a tray of warm tea for three and places it on the table. "I hope this would warm you guys up. What even compelled any of you to play in dirty snow?"

"Boredom," Max says.

"Bonding," Chloe adds in.

Victoria stays silent, still clearly uncomfortable in Kate's presence and both Max and Chloe can see it. Chloe rolls her eyes and nudges Victoria suddenly, catching her by surprise. "What?"

"Whatever shit you have with Kate has to be solved, now," Chloe reprimands, earning a surprised look by both Kate and Max. "Yeah that's right, Vicky. Listen to your own advice. You know, the advice you gave me: either you grow the fuck up or be a pathetic brooding little bitch."

"You don't have to do this—"

"No," Chloe interjects. She didn't like that someone gave her advice to finally make up with her best friend turned girlfriend, and then not listen to their own blunt, yet helpful advice. "You two can leave the room and Max and I can have some alone time."

"Fine! Let's go, Kate." Victoria grabs Kate's wrist and leaves the room, shutting the door behind her. Chloe smirks in triumph, while Max smirks herself, her eyes still widened in shock.

"Not gonna lie, that was kinda hot."

Chloe starts laughing. "You, Maxine Caulfield, are the gift that keeps on giving." She grabs a cup of tea and takes a sip. "Mmm, this isn't bad. Is this chai?"

Max takes a sip from her own cup. "Yup, definitely is. I thought you didn't drink tea."

"I at least know my chai from my black tea, Max," Chloe replies.

"First Beyonce, now _chai_?" Max shakes her head, places both of their cups aside, and inches towards Chloe. "I just think...if you're gonna be this edgy, punk rock, 'I-hate-everything-but-punk-blasting-on-my-radio type of girlfriend, you gotta stick to it."

" _Everyone_ loves Beyonce, Maxine!" Chloe exclaims.

"Max—"

"—never Maxine," Chloe imitates, rolling her eyes.

Max growls playfully. "And not everyone likes her! I have yet to be convinced."

"You're a hippie," Chloe laughs. She leans in and kisses Max without warning, but it doesn't even matter because Max makes a small satisfied sound before kissing back. Their tea is completely forgotten until the door opens minutes later, both Victoria and Kate walking in.

"Hey dykes!"

Chloe tears away from Max's lips and glares at Victoria. "Fuck you!"

"No thank you."

Kate shakes her head. "Come on, Victoria, looks like they need their alone time."

"Clearly." Both girls leave the room, making Chloe and Max burst out in giggles.

* * *

Max stares at the photos she's taken in the past week, admiring the work that she hasn't seen for a while. Ever since the fiasco with Jefferson, the only pictures she took were tester shots with William's old camera. However, the two pictures in front of her show that the past few weeks haven't made her rusty.

The first picture is one she snapped of Justin Williams and Taylor Christensen setting up an electric menorah in the hallway, courtesy of Principal Wells and the Jewish Student Coalition. She thought it was inappropriate until Taylor, surprisingly, gives her encouraging words. The second one is Chloe and Victoria's snowball fight. It's probably one of her favorites and she wishes she can keep it forever instead of giving it to her teacher. However, she needs to improve. She knows her grades are slipping. After receiving her November report card after the Thanksgiving holiday, she knows she can do better than that. In her old high school, she was a straight B student, occasionally getting A's in certain classes (like art and analog photography). However after missing several classes due to the Chloe situation and slacking a little after she woke up, it affected her grade.

So she has to make sure that she does all of her assignments on time. She finished a huge essay for English and completed her math homework, so photography is the one class she had to worry about.

Max packs up the photos in an envelope and heads to class for the day.

Christmas vacation is next week, and Max isn't happy to leave Arcadia Bay. Aside from psychopathic pedophiles and disturbed rich kids, Max enjoys being here. She never thought she would make friends with the people she made friends with, or that she would ever reconcile with Chloe, let alone be in a relationship with her. She never thought that she would investigate another girl's disappearance, and she never thought she would have rewind powers strong enough to cause an apocalypse. It's been crazy since she moved back here but would she take it back? Definitely not.

There's also spending the entire holiday week until next year with her parents, and probably only her parents. She checked both Kristen and Fernando's social media accounts and Fernando is going to Tijuana for his holiday break extending to the January break that college students have, and Kristen went to Penn State for college, but there is no news if she's returning to Seattle. The only other person she can hang out with until January is Victoria since she's a Seattle native and she isn't far from Max's humble home. It might be a good idea but Max doesn't want to impose.

She should've made more friends in Seattle, that's for sure. Maybe she wouldn't have to be bored during the winter break.

When classes are finally finished, some of the kids are already talking about a small Christmas soirée and while Max is intrigued, some of the kids were Vortex members and she wants zero part of that. She still goes when Victoria drags her out of her dorm room after hours of packing her stuff. It isn't a bad party but she expected more, like caroling and more eggnog and candy canes. Of course, the school is atoning for allowing the Vortex Club to be an elite club for drugs, alcohol, and hardcore partying but the ringleader is dead and the other ringleader retired her old ways to become a better person.

Max still enjoys it though. She spends it mostly with Kate, Victoria, Steph, Mikey, and Warren (all five of them seeming to be cool) and that's all she wants before she heads to Seattle tomorrow. When Steph, Victoria, Warren, and Mikey go off tangent about tabletop games, Max talks to Kate about their plans during the holiday vacation. Kate is gonna see her family for the first time since she moved to the campus, and they're gonna go to church on Christmas Eve morning. Then Christmas morning, Kate's gonna spend it with her sisters opening presents and watching crappy religious holiday movies. Max knows that sounds more exciting than her Christmas.

"Hey nerds!" Max says, interrupting Victoria. "What are you doing for Christmas?"

"First, never interrupt me again," Victoria says back. "And if you must know, I am going to spend it with my aunt and cousins because my parents are a total buzzkill and I rather have a decent holiday than to entertain yet another boring Chase Space related soirée."

"I'm going to Las Vegas with my parents to visit my extended family," Steph announces.

"I'm gonna meet Mikey's dad on Christmas eve," Warren announces.

"And then my dad's gonna flip because he thought I was gonna be the straight sibling," Mikey quips. "I cannot wait."

Max shakes her head in amusement. "Well, I hope it goes well for you. When I told my parents about Chloe being my girlfriend, they were ok with it. My dad's embarrassing but what can we do?"

Steph smirks. "My parents knew I was gay when I took up softball in sixth grade."

"Wow, that isn't stereotypical at all," Victoria chides, in a sarcastic voice.

Steph glares at Victoria. "Bite me, Chase."

"I haven't even told my parents," Kate shrugs. "If I ever tell them, they might condemn me or send me to a conversion camp. I'm not taking any chances."

"I told my parents and they threatened to take me to a conversion camp," Victoria says, earning pairs of concerned looks from everyone. "Then I lied, saying I lied about being a lesbian, and they went back to...their way of parenting me. Trust me if I told them I wouldn't be here. And, since i'm eighteen, they can't necessarily tell me what to do anymore."

Max still has a frown on her face, but decides not to talk about it any further. She turns back to her eggnog and watches briefly as Dana and Taylor get caught under a carefully planned mistletoe by someone Max theorizes is Victoria herself. She smirks as both girls have no choice but to kiss, and then turns to Victoria. "I _know_ that was you."

"You think I put a sprig of mistletoe under an unsuspecting Dana Ward and Taylor Christensen before coming here because Taylor kept crying and crying about wanting to date her for years and I want to do right by my other best friend? I have no idea what you're talking about, Maxine Caulfield, and quite frankly, I am offended."

"Ok, Vicky," Max laughs. "Who knew you were such a romantic?"

"That's honestly really sweet, Victoria," Kate says, smiling.

"Oh my god, it was _nothing_!" Victoria exclaims dramatically. "Seriously. It was about time Taylor stopped acting like a chickenshit and make a move, even if I had to do that in order for that to happen."

"Awwwww," everyone collectively coos, making Victoria blush and roll her eyes.

Right after the party, Max heads back to her dorm and sighs happily, knowing that she would have to leave tomorrow to Seattle for the rest of the year, but at least she had some fun.


	9. Chapter 9

If there's one holiday that Chloe didn't mind skipping over in the past, it's Christmas. When she was younger, her father made Christmas so much bearable in the house by doing Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving, decorating trees by the first day of December, letting Chloe pick out the tree and putting the star on top of the tree, and so much more. However, after William dies, Chloe would much rather stay in bed and hope it's the 26th the next time she opens her eyes. It hasn't been any better when David comes in the picture. Chloe definitely would stay upstairs in her room, since Rachel had to pretend to be the stellar daughter to the Amber extended family. Chloe has relatives and she expressed wanting to live with her maternal aunt in Buffalo, but they never want to step foot into Arcadia Bay (and Chloe does not blame them).

However, this year seems a lot more positive. Her relationship with her parents is a lot better than it was last year, and Chloe has grown to like David after the heart to heart they had weeks ago. She stopped the nicknames months ago which is a start but she never realized how 'not bad' David is until recently. They have things they don't agree on but Chloe would much rather not talk about them.

When David talks about getting a Christmas tree, Joyce insists that Chloe help him out just so he doesn't throw out his back again. Chloe jokes about David not being as young as he used to be and it's all lighthearted but she wouldn't make him get a Christmas tree again while he's still a little iffy over his injury. When David thinks they're going home, she turns around heads to a store to pick out new Christmas ornaments because the ones in the storage weren't cutting out for her and she definitely wants to make new memories this time around.

She has to admit that spending time with David isn't as bad as she thought it would be. Last year, she would've gagged at the thought of being alone with him, let alone look at dorky ornaments with him.

David pays for everything she picks up and once they get home they spend the entire time decorating the tree with some help from Joyce, who mostly couldn't stop smiling at Chloe getting along with David after years of volatile arguments and hostile glares.

Neither of them were strong enough to decorate the house so they settle on a simple wreath.

Chloe admires the Christmas tree for the first time in five years, while her stepfather hands her a cup of warm eggnog made by Joyce. "Gotta say, this is our best work."

"Shut up, Madsen," Chloe laughs.

"So you agree," David smirks. "We did a good job."

"I wouldn't disagree because I picked out everything, but your star placement is way off."

"Ahem," Joyce interjects. "It's fine, Chloe."

Chloe shrugs simply. "Whatever you two say."

On Christmas morning, Chloe wakes up and heads downstairs, when she realizes she's the first to wake up. That hasn't happened in almost six years. Chloe is never the first to wake up for anything — school, meetups, breakfast, family meetings, and more — so she's a little surprised to see that her mom isn't even up yet, let alone making breakfast. She opts for cereal and figures she can wait until her parents wake up before she gives them their presents. It wasn't much at all. She didn't have much funds after she quit her job months ago and her escape Arcadia Bay plan is down the drain ever since Rachel disappeared. Plus, Frank is still missing and Chloe is 100% sure the police did their damn job for once and isn't telling her of the news.

She got her mom a handwritten bracelet that she received days back. While she had to travel to Portland to get the gift, she wouldn't exchange it for anything else. She got David some socks at first, because she knows nothing about David and everyone always appreciate socks. It's pathetic compared to the gift she's giving Joyce so yesterday, she went back to Portland and got him some cufflinks.

She places them under the tree just when her mom heads downstairs. She waits idly by the tree, grinning when she sees her parents, still looking tired but are just as happy. "Merry Christmas ya filthy animals. Let's open presents now."

Joyce and David roll their eyes collectively. "You seem to be in the spirit this year," Joyce comments. "It's a change."

"Yeah yeah yeah, don't ruin it mother." Chloe turns around and grabs the same presents she hid under the tree moments ago, and gives it to her parents. "It isn't much, but I felt that I should've made an effort, what with you two not giving up on me after I was such a worthless bitch at the beginning of the year."

Joyce frowns a little at her daughter's choice of words, but she opens the small present. Chloe looks at her mom, then at David, then at her mom again, looking for their reactions. David snorts at his first gift containing the socks, but then smiles warmly at the second gift. Joyce couldn't hold back her happy tears. Chloe couldn't tell at first, but she concludes it after she can see the proud grin on her mom's face. "Come on mom. Don't make me cry."

"Chloe...this is beautiful…"

"It was no trouble mom. I realized I never really gave you a gift other than that jewelry holder in your room and god, it's still ugly as ever..." Chloe turns to David next. "And the reason why you have two gifts is because I thought the socks were lame. Socks are a great gift but then...I realized...you deserved _more_ than just socks."

Chloe casts her eyes down hoping not to read her stepfather's eyes...or even her mom's. Shit. She really didn't expect to say all of that. She could've left it at the first sentence, and now it's all awkward. Well, on her front. Chloe doesn't expect a pair of strong arms circling her. She tenses, but then realizing what was happening, she relaxes and hugs back genuinely.

* * *

Max wakes up Christmas morning. When she got to Seattle, it basically proved that it was going to be a boring holiday aside from opening presents. When she gets here, she barely unpacks, opting to keep her stuff inside the suitcase. She looks around her room, taking in the small amount of decor that's been her life since she was thirteen. She only allowed her parents and her two friends in here. Chloe would be here if she came along but she opted to spend the holiday with her parents, which is a good thing.

Sighing, she gets out of bed and heads downstairs. The fake Christmas tree stands proudly in the corner of the living room, with some presents under the tree, while three pairs of stockings hang over the fireplace. The house smells like pine cones and it's so warm compared to the below freezing temperatures of Seattle.

Her first Christmas in Seattle wasn't that great, but the camera that her dad gave her made it somewhat bearable. Her extended family showed up and it was a quiet holiday for the most part. She always enjoyed the holidays, but ever since she knew Chloe it's been anything but quiet. However, Seattle made it a lot more calmer, even when she had her friends and their parents over.

Her parents wake up moments later and it's quiet. Max receives a pack of Polaroid film from her father and a gift card from her mom. Max proceeds to watch films with her dad while her mom makes Christmas dinner all morning, until around one when there is a knock on the door. Bewildered, Max goes to the door and opens it.

"Maxine!" Max grins upon seeing her friend Kristen walk in the door with her parents. She gives Kristen a big hug while Ryan greets Kristen's parents. "It's been way too long."

"I thought you were staying in Pennsylvania," Max ponders out loud.

Kristen laughs. "Me too, until my parents drove all the way from Seattle to pull me out of school. They said I didn't get to spend time with them on Thanksgiving so I decided that was fair enough and hauled ass back to Seattle with them. Then my mom says you were in town and I said we have to visit her, and they actually agreed so…"

"My parents did that too," Max says, rolling her eyes.

"Fernando's in Tijuana while we're in the rainy city of Seattle," Kristen mentions, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up. Max drags her upstairs to her room, and closes the door shut. "I even asked him if he wanted his best friend, aka me, to come with, but he said no."

"That would've been great if he invited the both of us. I need a small vacation away from Seattle...and to a lesser extent, Arcadia Bay."

"So how's Blackwell? I heard something concerning a teacher and a kid and some dark room...my roommate Marissa was a student over there and she keeps tabs. God knows why but…"

"That was so stressful and messy and man do I have the story to tell you." Max tells Kristen everything, leaving out the rewind powers but basically detailing on how she saved her girlfriend and how Jefferson and Nathan went to jail. She even mentions Rachel Amber and Nathan's imminent suicide. Kristen listens intently, a bit surprised about Rachel, Chloe, and Nathan but not at Jefferson, having heard some details from her roommate.

When Max finishes, Kristen lays back on Max's bed. "That's a fucking lot."

"It is," Max replies. "My life's been hectic since I moved back to Arcadia. It has slowed down since Chloe got shot and survived the bullet but...who knows what else Arcadia Bay has in store for me."

Kristen hums. "You wouldn't get that much action in Pennsylvania. While I don't live in the Amish side of town, it's still kinda boring."

"Trust me, you don't want that kind of action in Penn State."

"Oh, before I forget, I wanted to give you this." Kristen reaches inside her bag and gives Max a small box. "It's mostly from Fernando, but I wanted my name on it too. Happy way belated birthday...and Merry Christmas."

Max didn't expect something from either Fernando or Kristen. Whenever Max's birthday came around they usually let her do crazy things (like getting drunk at the Fremont Troll) or they ignore it and give her an impromptu gift that they brought the same day, usually a gift card to the photography store that she always frequented. But, when she opens it, she's surprised to see a collection of pins that had Seattle landmarks on them. Max had always liked pins, often using her messenger bag as the one place she puts them on, so this gift is a lot more thoughtful than any of the gifts her friends have ever given her. "Thank you so much, Kris. I should probably thank Fernando but..."

"Shut up!" Kristen laughs.

Max puts it down and gives Kristen a short hug. "But still, thank you."

"You're welcome, Max." Max lets go of Kristen and they share a short laugh. "Anyway, I was kinda lurking on your social media yesterday and you got a bunch of pictures with some blue haired girl…"

"That's Chloe."

"Mhmm. Seems like you and this mysterious Chloe got something going on."

"Fine, she's my girlfriend," Max reveals, rolling her eyes a little. "Kinda had an awakening in Arcadia Bay."

"You sure did." Max groans while Kristen giggles and wags her eyebrows. "It doesn't come off as a shock to me. You practically talked about the same Chloe for the first few months you knew us."

Max shrugs. "Yeah. I missed her a lot and leaving her when she was so vulnerable is probably the biggest mistake in my life. Her dad was killed in a car accident around the same time I had time to tell her but we had so much fun being pirates again. It wouldn't work. But at least she forgives me and our relationship has changed, and even before that it seemed like nothing has changed other than us growing up away from each other."

"That's good to know. It's always good to have at least one friend you knew for a really long time."

Max agrees. "Besides me, how's Penn State? College seems kinda interesting unless your pictures are lying to me."

"Oh man, it's challenging. Fun but challenging. My roommate isn't a total bitch, my classes are a harder than that Shakespeare class we took together, and all of the boys there are ugly. I like Seattle boys a lot more."

Max couldn't help but laugh. She never really had a boyfriend and the boys always made fun of her, but they are better compared to the Arcadia Bay boys she's encountered...well except for Mikey and Warren. She hasn't paid much attention to them, always preferring to look at the girls of Arcadia Bay and even Seattle to a lesser extent, but her romantic interest in boys is still there. "You'll find someone one day."

Kristen scoffs. "Says the girl who found her someone."

"In my defense, I've always known Chloe."

"I'll give you that," Kristen smirks.

When Vanessa calls them down for dinner, Max and Kristen head downstairs and enjoy a nice family dinner. Max is really glad she got to spend some time with her friend, hoping this won't be her last encounter with Kristen or even Fernando. Kristen's parents ask Max about Blackwell and Max's parents ask Kristen about college, and both of them answer as honestly as they can. Max leaves out the details of saving Chloe and causing a rich kid to get arrested for obvious reasons. Neither of Kristen's parents need to know about that.

When Kristen and her parents leave, Max gets a call from Chloe. "Merry Christmas, Price."

"Merry Christmas, Caulfield," Chloe replies. Max can almost detect the amused smirk on Chloe's face right now. "How was your holiday?"

"Spent it with my friend Kristen and her parents, along with mine, so it wasn't boring," Max answers. "She had a lot of questions about Blackwell and you...also her roommate is Marissa Rogers."

"Marissa Rogers. Haven't heard that name in years."

"Me neither," Max says back. "I miss you."

"I miss you too dork," Chloe laughs. "I had a really...nice holiday this year. Got both my parents gifts and also spent it being my lazy self, out of my room for a change. My older cousin visited us for a few hours as well. He doesn't like David."

Max snorts. "Kinda reminds you of yourself huh?"

"Definitely." These was a short silence. "It was kind of weird but like, I felt a weight being lifted when I gave him some gifts...like the animosity and anger we had towards each other just...disappeared. I know I can never forget the shit he said and the shit he's done, but we're both atoning for our mistakes, I guess."

"I'm kind of glad you two aren't arguing anymore. It doesn't make things awkward anymore when things get bad."

"Me too."

* * *

Chloe slowly counts the days until Max comes back to Arcadia Bay. After a very nice Christmas, Chloe gets immensely bored now that her friends are spending time with their families and Max is so far away. School doesn't start until next year, so of course, anyone who doesn't live in Arcadia Bay will not return until then...including Max.

Despite the holiday week, Joyce still had to work and David usually tries to occupy himself outside the house, so Chloe is mostly left to her own devices. Even online school isn't really in session, despite having some holiday homework that she doesn't want to do right now.

She should probably work on her truck a little. It's been making a rattling noise ever since the snowstorm. However it is seriously below freezing and being near the Pacific Ocean certainly does not help matters. But she really missed working with her hands and she isn't exactly doing strenuous work.

Sighing, Chloe puts on some warm clothes and heads to her truck, hoping to find the root of the problem concerning her old truck. She really should look for a new one, but with no job and no credit line in general, Chloe is out of luck when it concerns getting a brand new truck, or even a simple car. After a few minutes, she finds the problem, and attempts to fix it for an hour until the rattling noise stops when she turns it on.

Before she goes back inside, her phone rings. It's Max. "'Sup hippie?"

"Turn around, loser." Chloe rolls her eyes and turns around. She almost drops her phone. She runs towards Max and hugs her, catching the other girl by surprise. "Wowsers, Chloe. Did you miss me?"

Chloe doesn't answer that immediately.

"Ok, I'll take that silence as a yes."

"Of course I missed you, dumbass," Chloe finally answers.

"Can we go inside? It's cold out here."

Chloe sighs, let's go of Max, and pulls her inside the warm house. "I thought you were coming back in the new year. What happened?"

"I missed Arcadia Bay," Max replies. "I missed you."

"Awwwww babe, you missed me!" Chloe grins, giving Max a short kiss. However, Max pulls her back in and kisses her for even longer. Chloe is surprised but doesn't indicate that she is, instead kissing back. Their makeout moments never last long but this time, Chloe is determined to use this time very well. Of course, that meant keeping things under the belt because she is sure Max isn't ready for that, but it's worth it.

Chloe pulls away, takes both of Max's hands, and pulls her upstairs. Max follows without any hesitation. After reaching the top floor, Chloe guides her to her room. Once the door closes, Max pushes Chloe against the wall and reclaims Chloe's lips. Chloe makes a small sound and kisses back. She puts her hands on Max's waist, while Max cups Chloe's neck. The kiss turns more passionate; Chloe bites Max's bottom lip, making Max gasp. Chloe takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss. She can tell Max is not used to the sensation at all, but sees a bit of effort.

Chloe pushes Max towards the bed, and Max pulls her down with her, causing both of them to crash into each other, Max breaking Chloe's fall. Chloe pulls away from the kiss to laugh, with Max doing the same exact thing. "That was a terrible idea."

"You said it," Max agrees.

Chloe gets off Max and lays right next to her. "Well, at least you're here for New Year's."

"New Years is kinda overrated," Max shrugs.

"I like New Years!" Chloe argues. "It gives me a chance to start over. I don't have much to start over with because peace is kind of restored and we already solved the mystery of Rachel Amber, so…yeah, this New Years may be more meaningful than my other ones."

"I think we can make a resolution for 2014."

Chloe raises an eyebrow and glances at Max. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I think for 2014, we make it an effort to continue talking in pirate lingo so I can keep up with you from now on."

"That is such a silly resolution, Max," Chloe chuckles. "Ok but seriously. My resolution is to not worry so much about my tragedies and focus more on my accomplishments, like finally making up with David and going back to school. Oh, and surviving this bastardly gunshot wound."

"That's a good one. Damn, that resolution makes mine look like shit."

"Good." Max slaps Chloe on the shoulder while the other girl laughs.

* * *

Just like Max predicted, New Years is kind of boring. Sadly, Oregon isn't as special as the east coast when they celebrate a new year. However, she spends it with Chloe and that's all that matters.

She goes back to school almost immediately and it's back to her regular schedule. She actually did so the holiday homework so for every class, she's definitely up on her homework and doesn't have to ask her dorm neighbors for help.

When the weekend approaches, Kate brings up the idea of visiting Nathan's grave for final thoughts, which brings an unanimous answer from Max, Victoria, and Chloe.

"No."

Kate instantly frowns. "Come on. We haven't seen his grave since he was buried and I think it's a way to get closure even if he was an ass to all of us."

"Correction, he was an ass to all of us except _Victoria_ ," Max points out.

"Still though," Kate shrugs. "I may not have forgiven him for the things he did to me, but not being able to get closure's been eating me inside. We can just go there for a few minutes and that's it."

Max looks at her girlfriend and her best friend, to see if they still oppose. Chloe rolls her eyes and Victoria gives a silent look of defeat. "Alright. We'll go."

"Good. We leave at seven in the morning tomorrow...and I'm bringing my bible."

Max finds herself inside Chloe's truck at seven in the morning, still tired. She's used to waking up early on a weekday, but Saturdays and Sundays are her only days when she can sleep in until midday. She keeps remembering that this is for Kate. She brought up the idea in the first place. She pulled all of the strings and she's making it happen. Max could care less about Nathan being six feet under, but Kate was right in the sense of no one going to the cemetery as of yet since his suicide.

She hasn't been here since William's death. It was the last place she went before heading on to the road for Seattle for a new life. Since then, she hasn't found a reason to go there, not even for Rachel's proper funeral and burial months back.

However, she gets chills the closer she gets there. Cemeteries creep her out because she's stepping on a bunch of dead bodies that are six feet under her body, covered by a coffin. People are decaying away under her feet, whether they've been there for years or weeks, or months, or even decades or centuries. It's weird.

She walks next to Chloe, hand in hand. She notices how quiet Chloe's been. They noticeably pass by her father's grave to a huge tombstone with the Prescott surname on it. It has other Prescott relatives, which Max instantly recognized as some names from the time she went to the barn in the other timeline, and some unrecognizable ones until it goes down to the one everyone's looking at: Nathan Joshua, 1995-2013

Max sighs and she feels Chloe's hand tighten around here.

Kate opens her bible and unfolds a page, scanning it until she stops. "First Epistle to the Thessalonians chapter four, verse thirteen and fourteen. Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. Father God, we come before you right now, all of us. Myself, my friend Maxine, her girlfriend Chloe, and a new friend of mine who personally knew the fallen, Victoria. We are here to remember the legacy of Nathan Joshua Prescott, whose life was cut short. I hope that you watch over him, as he is now free and no longer burdened by the shackles of his unforgivable mistakes and his family legacy. While most of us have not forgiven him for his actions, we recognize them and we shall rise above it. In the future, we will hope that this experience can help the four of us even more. In Jesus name, amen."

"Amen," everyone mumbles in unison. Max opens her eyes, and raises her head up.

"Does anyone have anything to say to the deceased?" Kate inquires, looking at everyone with semi-expectant looks.

It stays quiet until Victoria steps closer and stares at her ex-friend's grave. "Fuck, Nathan. How could you do the things you've done? People could've helped you out if you just let them in...god, i should've known when you threw that desk at that teacher...but, I can't say anything other than goodbye." She sighs, throwing her head back in an attempt to not cry in front of her friends. "Just...fuck. I'm done. I can't say anything else."

"I can," Chloe says. "Rot in hell, Prescott."

"Chloe," Kate frowns.

"He killed Rachel and almost killed me. It's only fair."

Kate sighs. "Ok. Well...we should get—"

"Um, Kate? Do you have a verse for healing? I wanna visit one more grave spot before we leave."

Max stares at Chloe. Was she talking about Rachel? She isn't sure at all and right now, she cannot read her girlfriend. "Yeah! I have a bunch of them. I'll use my favorite one. Which grave are we visiting?"

"My dad, William Price," Chloe replies. "He died five years ago but I'm finally ready to...uh, heal from it I guess."

Kate nods. "Ok, then. Lead the way."

Chloe keeps her tight grip on Max's hand and goes right back to the grave they passed. Max finally notices huge tears rolling down Chloe's cheeks and now she realizes how much Chloe wants to heal and wants to make her new year's resolution a reality. She wants to wipe them away, but not yet. Not until they're done."

"Ok...here it is," Kate announces. "The Gospel of Matthew chapter eleven, verses twenty eight through thirty. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Chloe takes the opportunity to speak. "Dad. It's been five years since I've came back here. You usually show up in my dreams, sometimes you're watching over me and giving me advice. Sometimes I feel your presence around me. I want you to know that no matter what, I will always love you and I will never forget you, ever. I'm sorry I'm not the daughter you hoped for, with a sh–really bad past with an even worse future if I didn't grow up. I allowed my sadness towards you make the worst out of me, and that's a terrible thing...but from now on, I'm gonna make you proud as long as you–you keep watching over me."

Chloe wipes her face and sniffles. "Uh, this was definitely what we needed. Thanks, Katie."

"You're welcome, Chloe," Kate says back, reaching over and giving Chloe a short hug. Chloe hugs back without letting go of Max's hand.

"Should we visit Rachel's?" Victoria inquires.

"Didn't you hate her?" Max points out.

"Yeah but...Chloe didn't."

Chloe shakes her head. "No. I've already made peace with Rachel. Let's get a move on."

Chloe drives Max to the diner, with Kate and Victoria following right behind them. Chloe finally lets go of Max's hand to drive but once they exit out the car, she reclaims Max's hand. Max doesn't mind because she clearly needed it.

As soon as they enter, Joyce is already speeding up to her daughter, with worry and concern all over her face. "Chloe? You ok?"

"Never better, mommy," Chloe smiles genuinely.

"Where did you guys go?"

"We went to the cemetery to visit Nathan's grave," Max explains. "...Then we went to visit William."

Joyce glances at Chloe again. "Is that true?"

"I wanted to move past it and focus more on the now," Chloe explains. "It sucks that my father's gone but you're here, and Max is here...and even to a lesser extent, David is here."

Joyce cracks a smile. "Well, alright. I'm guessing you gals are hungry, huh?"

"Yes, Joyce! I missed your food," Victoria groans.

Joyce snorts. "And a howdy hello to you too, Miss Victoria."


	10. Chapter 10

Chloe wakes up Sunday morning, with the thought of going to pick up Max from Blackwell to the cemetery to visit Nathan. She hates Nathan, even after his death, but Kate thinks this should be a good idea. Chloe has some of her faith onto Kate because she really believes Kate has a good head on her shoulders and her actions always mean well, even if she doesn't mean to.

She wears all black despite Kate never disclosing of a dress code, then stares at herself in the mirror. Her hair's a mess, so she flattens it up with a black beanie.

"There you go." Chloe turns around to see Rachel sitting on Chloe's desk chair, smirking and checking Chloe out. "You're ready to conquer the day."

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asks.

"I'm visiting you, genius," Rachel smiles. She gets up from the chair, walks up to Chloe, and folds her arms in an authoritarian, but her typical pose. "I gotta say, Miss Marsh is too kind. I would've _never_ visited Nathan if it were for me."

"Yeah, that's one of the many different things about you two," Chloe says.

Rachel frowns. "Come on, are you still mad at me from the last time we conversed? You know I never ever meant to hurt you in any way, shape, or form. I would never do that, which is why I never told you."

"It would've been better if you didn't do it," Chloe glowers.

Rachel sighs and drops her hands to her sides. "I know, but what's done is done. I died because of my mistakes. Now this is _your_ second chance. You have the opportunity to be better than me. You already are better than me though. Aside from befriending Victoria, you manage to have a relationship with David, and you went back to school. You're doing so much better and that's the _only_ thing I ever wanted from you."

"Thanks Rach," Chloe smiles.

"You're welcome," Rachel replies. "I have one request for you though...wait, two requests. First one, get a spare graduation cap and put it on my tombstone...for silly reasons...and the second one, I want you to keep up with that resolution. I've seen so much growth from the last few months and it will bring both William and me great satisfaction that you're being a better you."

"My dad talked to you? Is everyone friends in heaven or what?"

Rachel snorts. "No, but I have a feeling he would want you to be your best, because why would he be different from the rest of us?"

Chloe chuckles, wiping tears from her eyes. "I love you Rachel."

"Love you too, Chloe." Once Rachel disappears, Chloe sniffles and laughs. She couldn't bring herself to cry, not anymore. Not when she knows Rachel is right.

She heads downstairs and is so happy that both David and Joyce are at their respective jobs because she did not need any more questions. She talked to Samantha last night about visiting Nathan's grave, and she only offered her best advice, not to worry about it so much. She attended the funeral so when Chloe offered to take her, she declined. Chloe understood.

Kate delivers a moving prayer for Nathan and offers her ultimate favorite bible verse for Chloe to finally move on and live without the heavy feeling in her heart reserved for her dad. When she leaves the cemetery, she feels so much lighter and she feels like things will be better. Plus, spending the day with Max, Kate, and even _Victoria_ isn't that bad. She never expected to befriend either Kate or Victoria — she never knew Kate and she never liked Victoria — but they're hanging out. It doesn't even feel terrible.

* * *

 ** _Four months later_**

"Maxine Caulfield," Professor Michelle Grant calls out. Max walks down the aisle to Principal Wells, waving to her friends in the front row and the grabbing her fake diploma, shaking hands with her former principal, and allowing him to move her tassel to the left side. She steps down and stands right next to Victoria, who nudges her to the side.

Max watches other names being called, like Kate, Dana, Taylor, Hayden, Brooke, Stella, Justin, Trevor, Zach, and many others. After announcing the class of 2014, Max takes both of Kate and Victoria's hands and walk over to Chloe, Steph, Mikey, and Warren; the former two no longer attending Blackwell and the latter two attending Blackwell for one more year.

Chloe gives Max a bouquet of mixed flowers and kisses Max sweetly. "Awww," some of her friends coo.

"Dykes," Victoria chides.

"You jealous?" Chloe smirks, after pulling away from Max.

"How could I be jealous when I have a girlfriend of my own?" Victoria says, gesturing to Steph standing right next to her. Steph removes the graduation cap from Victoria's head and starts rubbing her head, messing up the pixie cut. "Bitch!"

Max giggles. "You two are so cute."

Victoria smiles. "We could've won class couple if _Stephanie_ didn't graduate early. Luckily my bff Taylor did."

"Kinda glad they won class couple," Max shrugs. "Taylor and Dana are really cute. Plus, their contender was Juliet and Zach. I don't hate her but…"

"Straight people weird her out," Chloe finishes the sentence.

"That isn't what I was gonna say," Max argues. "I was gonna say that Dana is more popular than her. Most of the yearbook superlatives are popularity contests anyway."

"Then why did _you_ win 'most likely to succeed'?" Victoria inquires.

Max turns to Victoria. "Because you rigged the election, Leztoria Chase."

"I did not, Max Gayfield!" Victoria defends.

"Alright losers. You ready to get away from this shithole of a school or do we have to say some more fake goodbyes? It's not like you don't have each other on social media," Chloe speaks up, avoiding a playful argument between Max and Victoria.

"Listen, just because you don't have any friends doesn't mean you have to discredit us normal folk from having friends," Victoria quips.

"You don't have friends either, bitch," Chloe sneers.

"Oh? So these people aren't my friends?" Victoria asks hypothetically, gesturing to the rest of the group. "And Taylor isn't here but she counts too."

"I thought you two were friends," Kate says.

"We're _frenemies_ ," Victoria clarifies. "I still can't stand Kari Price but the bitch is dating my best friend so we gotta coexist." Chloe glares at Victoria, then she slaps her on the head. "See?"

Max rolls her eyes. "Can we go? I don't think Joyce can keep the place empty for a while."

After getting some graduation grub from Joyce at the Two Whales Diner, Chloe takes Max away from her friends and heads to the cemetery. Max is confused at first, because why would they come back here, until Chloe grabs a maroon cap and a single white lily from her backseat and heads to Rachel's tombstone. Max follows Chloe carefully, while Chloe speeds up to the sole tombstone of Rachel Amber.

Chloe sets down the cap and tassel in front of Rachel's stone. She casts her head down and says a silent prayer before stepping up and stepping back. She pulls one more item out of her pocket, a postcard from Long Beach, and tapes it around the tombstone. "I know it will fly away, but I just wanted to...put it there."

"I know," Max replies, rubbing Chloe's lower back. "She would appreciate it."

"I hope so," Chloe mumbles. "Now, let's get out of here."

* * *

Max packs up her stuff as slowly as possible, sighing happily. Now that she's a graduate of Blackwell, she is finally finished with this school, and this town. She may love Arcadia, but now it's time to embark on a nice American road trip before she goes to school in San Diego.

Kate is going to an art institute not too far from her, so they will have plenty of tea time. However, Victoria is traveling to NYC for school along with Steph so Max is definitely gonna miss her favorite bitch to steal notes from. However, she definitely promises to keep in touch, with both girls. Chloe already leased a place so Max will be living off campus (since it's hella cheaper) and will be attending school again. To get there, Max and Chloe will alternate driving.

Max didn't have much of a hard time saying goodbye to her parents, but Chloe did. Her relationship with both Joyce and David improved since the accident, so leaving them right when things are changing made all three of them cry for almost an hour.

After the graduation and dinner at the Two Whales Diner, all of the kids from the dorm had a grad party. Max definitely did attend and it isn't like a Vortex party, but it was definitely more fun than the Christmas soirée. Hey, most of these kids were leaving so one last party seemed fitting.

Max said her goodbyes to everyone. Taylor and Dana are going to OSU together, to study different things but Max is sure they won't ever stay away from each other. Brooke recently coupled up with Justin but Justin isn't going to school. He's taking a year off and then he'll go to study pharmacy while Brooke embarks on a STEM program at MIT. Juliet is going to school in Florida to study journalism, and Zach is going to the same college on an athletic scholarship. Trevor is also taking a year off and staying in Arcadia Bay with his parents. While Max has never really talked to him, talking to him for the first time seemed refreshing. Alyssa is working on a chicklit book that she promises to give Max a manuscript to read. Stella is going to Princeton and she didn't detail what she was going to study, so she might be undeclared.

Now it's the next day and she is very sure David will start kicking students out if they aren't fast enough. Then again, he has a soft spot for Max since she's dating his stepdaughter. The others...not so much. Most of the students clear out before noon, leaving Max to finish packing by herself.

Max should've been finished packing but she isn't. She still has some of her clothes, her laptop, and her guitar. She already has the rug to be shipped off to her parents' place but Lisa is a plant that needs to be watered everyday and she can not afford to bring it with her on the road trip, and she knows her parents may not remember to water her, so she decides for Lisa to be taken care of by another parent for the time being. Kate volunteered as tribute, so now basically it's a co-parenting agreement, as Chloe likes to call it.

Max stocks up on Polaroids because she plans to take many pictures. Chloe makes sure the truck is working as smoothly as possible so they won't come into problems on the way across the country and back. With a huff, Max finishes her packing and lines up her two suitcases outside her door.

"Max, you're still here?" Courtney Wagner inquires, with a bit of an eyebrow raised.

Courtney doesn't talk to much people aside from Taylor and Victoria, so Max was a little surprised when she addressed her. "Uh, yeah. I'm kind of slow when it comes to packing."

"Same here." Courtney gestures to the single suitcase and duffel bag she's carrying. "I've been meaning to ask you since I wasn't at the party last night. What are you doing after graduation?"

"I'm taking a road trip with my girlfriend and then heading to San Diego for college," Max answers.

"Oh, cool! I'm going to school in Vancouver," Courtney replies. "Something about Canada seems...kind of cool. Maybe it's the maple syrup."

"Or the free healthcare," Max jokes.

"That too." She removes her phone from her pocket and reads it. "That's my ride. Even though we never really talked, I can kinda see why Victoria liked talking to you."

"Uh, thanks," Max smirks. "I love her too."

"Bye, Max," Courtney waves, and goes towards the exit.

"Bye, Courtney." Max sighs and realizes she's all alone. Chloe hasn't gotten here yet. What is taking her so long?

"Captain Bluebeard is ready to embark on the grand expedition through the seven seas with her trusty sidekick!" Chloe announces, making Max burst out laughing. "Are ya ready, Maxine?"

"Aye aye, Cap'n," Max salutes

"I can't hear you!"

"Aye aye, Cap'n!" Max says louder.

Chloe kisses Max's forehead and grabs a suitcase. "Let's get the hell outta here. David's getting impatient."

"He still knows I'm here?"

"He knows I was gonna pick you up, so that's a solid yes. He's gotta make sure all kids are evacuated so he can tell the cleaning crew to replace anything that may have been left back from other students, so by next term, the rooms are clean and ready to go. By the way, I saw Courtney Wagner get picked up in a particularly beautiful pickup truck and I got jealous for a little bit."

Max snorts. "You had all year to replace your metal death trap."

"Yeah, but the Chloemobile holds too many memories for me to just give it up."

Max rolls her eyes and grabs her their suitcase. "Ok, let's get out of here."

"Wait, let's take one more selfie before we go. I kinda wanna get stepdad riled up one last time."

Max pulls out her Polaroid and they take a selfie in front of the Blackwell totem pole. "Chloe! Maxine! _Get out of here!_ " David yells from afar.

"Love you too, David!" Chloe yells back. "Come on. Let's go." Max runs behind Chloe, getting into the truck with both of them laughing. "Shit, that was fun. I knew I had to get him mad one last time."

"Some things will never change huh?"

"No, Max. They won't." Chloe backs up from the parking space and drives off. Max smirks a little at the Leaving Arcadia Bay sign, with a positive thought that whatever happens, at least she has Chloe by her side this time. No rewind powers, no storm, no death and destruction.


End file.
